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JANUARY 20<strong>18</strong> | ISSUE 08<br />
LUXURY<br />
REDEFINED<br />
ROBERTO CAVALLI<br />
REBOOTED<br />
WILL SMITH<br />
THE FRESH<br />
PRINCE RETURNS<br />
COURCHEVEL <strong>18</strong>50<br />
APRÈS-SKI AND<br />
AN INVESTMENT<br />
IN PARADISE
2<br />
EQUITY
1<br />
EQUITY
Extraordinary is in the detail.<br />
To explore one of the world’s most detailed landscape photographs go to BentleyMotors.com/Explore.<br />
Please contact us on 800-BENTLEY [800 236 8539]<br />
or visit us at www.uae.bentleymotors.com for more information<br />
4<br />
EQUITY<br />
The name ‘Bentley’ and the ‘B’ in wings device are registered trademarks. © 2017 Bentley Motors Limited.
Be Extraordinary.<br />
5<br />
EQUITY
6<br />
EQUITY
From the EDITOR<br />
The New Year marks a fresh start for all of<br />
us. A time to turn over a leaf, embark on a<br />
journey and succeed at whatever it is that<br />
our heart desires. While December was all<br />
about reflection of the year’s past, <strong>Jan</strong>uary<br />
is more universally known for resolutions. This year,<br />
I’ve decided to keep none. Instead, I’m going with the<br />
flow and making a list of things that bring me happiness,<br />
activities I want to attempt or do more of – I skied for<br />
the first time in Courchevel and can’t wait to plan my<br />
next ski getaway. Read all about it on page 58.<br />
Less about my journey, and more about the remarkable personalities we<br />
interviewed this month. Asma Saeed Al Hamiz, an investment manager and<br />
emotional wellbeing consultant talks misconceptions and stereotypes in the<br />
UAE (page <strong>18</strong>), while Gregg Sedgwick, the Founder of Gallery One, discusses<br />
the significance of cultural retail for the region’s diverse population (page 14).<br />
Securing an exclusive interview with the CEO of Roberto Cavalli, Gian<br />
Giacomo Ferraris, during his visit to Dubai, is by far one of the highpoints of<br />
<strong>Equity</strong>’s journey (page 22), making me reminisce my love for Roberto Cavalli.<br />
Speaking of the past, we look at the history of the ATM (page 32), as well as<br />
Will Smith’s prolific journey from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to a cop in Bright, a<br />
Netflix film. Digital Editor Varun Godinho takes us through his tour of the<br />
BOVET factory in Switzerland, revealing nitty-gritty details that will make any<br />
timepiece enthusiast giddy with delight (page 46).<br />
Since <strong>Jan</strong>uary is just the beginning of a great 20<strong>18</strong>, take time to unwind (page<br />
66), cater to your wellbeing (page 40) and spend quality time with family and<br />
friends either at a new hotspot (page 54) or on the course (page 64).<br />
EDITOR'S PICK<br />
Rene Caovilla's latest creation<br />
combines elements of Venetian<br />
art with femininity. One to display<br />
on the shelf<br />
Happy 20<strong>18</strong>!<br />
Nicola<br />
Nicola Monteath<br />
Follow us:<br />
This gorgeous pink leather bag<br />
from Marni at themodist.com,<br />
will be my weekend favourite<br />
equitymedia.uae equitymedia.uae equitymedia.uae equitymedia.uae<br />
EQUITY - Always invest in yourself<br />
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NICOLA MONTEATH - nicola@equity.media<br />
DIGITAL EDITOR VARUN GODINHO<br />
DEPUTY EDITOR MERYL D'SOUZA<br />
ART DIRECTOR ODILAINE MEJORADA<br />
SALES advertising@equity.media<br />
WWW.EQUITY.MEDIA<br />
PRINTED BY United Printing & Publishing<br />
is a proud member of<br />
I'm always up for a game of baby<br />
foot. Even more so, if it involves<br />
this stunning, aesthetically<br />
pleasing Hermés foosball table<br />
7<br />
EQUITY
insideEQUITY<br />
<strong>18</strong><br />
mind<br />
12<br />
MARK YOUR CALENDAR<br />
The hottest events happening<br />
around the globe<br />
14<br />
<strong>18</strong><br />
22<br />
27<br />
32<br />
THE RISE OF CULTURE RETAIL<br />
Local arts and souveneirs offer a<br />
piece of a country. Here's where<br />
you need to shop<br />
THE CHANGEMAKER<br />
Asma Saeed Al Hamiz talks<br />
wellbeing and mental health<br />
INTERVIEW:<br />
GIAN GIACOMO FERRARIS<br />
The CEO of Roberto Cavalli<br />
discusses the past, present and<br />
future of the brand<br />
NOW THIS IS A STORY...<br />
Will Smith returns to the screen,<br />
with Netflix<br />
THE EVOLUTION OF ATMs<br />
Have you ever wondered?<br />
14 36<br />
22<br />
body<br />
36<br />
38<br />
&<br />
soul<br />
THE CHECKLIST<br />
New Year, new wardrobe<br />
SHOP TALK<br />
The latest collections in stores<br />
40<br />
42<br />
WELLNESS TALK<br />
It's time to get on the right track,<br />
with a health and fitness regime<br />
INDULGE YOURSELF<br />
Statement pieces to covet<br />
and add to your wishlist<br />
8<br />
EQUITY
JANUARY 20<strong>18</strong><br />
52<br />
44<br />
54<br />
58<br />
ON OUR RADAR<br />
Gift inspiration for your loves ones,<br />
or just a treat for yourself<br />
DINING CONCEPTS<br />
These hotspots need to be ticked<br />
off your list this month<br />
ALPINE LIVING<br />
Make Courchevel <strong>18</strong>50 your next<br />
ski getaway destination<br />
66<br />
63<br />
58<br />
JETSETTER JOURNEYS<br />
Explore the best hotels around<br />
the globe<br />
64<br />
66<br />
69<br />
72<br />
HIT THE LINKS<br />
A review of Dubai Creek Golf<br />
& Yacht Club<br />
HOTEL OF THE MONTH<br />
Escape mainstream cities to Sir Bani<br />
Yas island<br />
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD<br />
The property market according to<br />
Harry Tregoning<br />
GET TO KNOW...<br />
MUSTAFA Y.KOITA<br />
A peek into this CEO's life<br />
On the cover<br />
WILL SMITH<br />
Read his interview on page 27<br />
The publication may not be<br />
reproduced, stored in a retrieval<br />
system, or transmitted in any<br />
form or by any means electronic,<br />
photocopying, recording or<br />
otherwise, without the permission<br />
of <strong>Equity</strong> Media. Where opinion<br />
is expressed it is that of the<br />
author and does not necessarily<br />
reflect the editorial views of<br />
the publishers of<br />
EQUITY-Always invest in yourself.<br />
All information in<br />
EQUITY-Always invest in yourself<br />
is checked and verified to the best<br />
of the publisher’s ability, however<br />
the publisher cannot be held<br />
responsible for any mistakes or<br />
omissions enclosed in<br />
the publication in content,<br />
advertising or graphics.<br />
9<br />
EQUITY
“Be Fearful When Others Are Greedy and<br />
Greedy When Others Are Fearful”<br />
Warren Buffett<br />
Financial Planning | Tax Planning | Wealth Management | Corporate Services<br />
10<br />
EQUITY<br />
United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom | Australia | Bermuda<br />
www.credence-international.com<br />
+971 4 556 5900 | info@credence-international.com
mind<br />
With Dubai Shopping<br />
Festival and sales all around<br />
the malls in the country, it's<br />
time to take a closer look at<br />
the retail sector and ways in<br />
which it has evolved, along<br />
with industries including<br />
the entertainment business<br />
11<br />
EQUITY
CALENDAR<br />
MARK YOUR CALENDAR<br />
Jetsetters, don’t forget to add these dates to your diary<br />
2<br />
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW<br />
WHERE? Las Vegas, USA<br />
WHEN? <strong>Jan</strong>uary 9 – 12<br />
The annual CES in Las Vegas is where<br />
technophiles descend in droves come <strong>Jan</strong>uary.<br />
From mobile phones and gaming solutions to<br />
drone technology and home solutions, this<br />
consumer electronics show debuts cutting-edge<br />
gadgets and nifty concepts. This year’s big<br />
themes are expected to be AI and ways to<br />
bridge the gap between Blockchain tech and the<br />
internet of things.<br />
1<br />
WHERE? Dubai, UAE<br />
WHEN? December 26 – <strong>Jan</strong>uary 27<br />
DUBAI SHOPPING FESTIVAL 20<strong>18</strong><br />
Pull out your credit card. Better still, call<br />
your bank, raise your credit limit, and<br />
then pull out your credit card. The mega<br />
Dubai Shopping Festival 20<strong>18</strong> is equal<br />
parts entertainment and shopping as you<br />
race from one mall to the next, slightly<br />
slowed down only by those oversized<br />
shopping bags. Enter as many raffle<br />
draws as you can. Remember, the law of<br />
averages means that you might stand a<br />
better chance at winning a jackpot than<br />
you think. Fingers crossed.<br />
3<br />
SALON INTERNATIONAL DE LA HAUTE HORLOGERIE<br />
NORTH AMERICA INTERNATIONAL<br />
AUTO SHOW<br />
WHERE? Detroit, USA<br />
WHEN? <strong>Jan</strong>uary 14 – 29<br />
Geneva, Frankfurt and Paris might all have<br />
excellent auto shows. But it’s the one in Detroit,<br />
at the start of the year, that industry pundits<br />
have their eyes fixed on. As one of the largest<br />
consumer markets for cars in the world,<br />
marquees from around the world debut their<br />
new cars and reveal to a hungry press fleet what<br />
they’ve got lined up for the rest of the year.<br />
We’re certain that hybrid will be a bigger theme<br />
this year in Detroit than it was last year.<br />
4<br />
WHERE? Geneva, Switzerland<br />
WHEN? <strong>Jan</strong>uary 15 – 19<br />
This is one of the world’s most prestigious annual watch shows. It might not be as large as<br />
Baselworld, but it certainly pulls in the big names in watchmaking. From Vacheron<br />
Constantin, Audemars Piguet and Cartier to Panerai, Roger Dubuis and Richard Mille, this<br />
is where you need to be to understand not only what some of the year’s biggest launches<br />
are, but also to gauge the overall health of the Swiss watchmaking industry.<br />
12<br />
EQUITY
CALENDAR<br />
6<br />
PARIS FASHION WEEK MEN’S<br />
WHERE? Paris, France<br />
WHEN? <strong>Jan</strong>uary 17 – 21<br />
Pitti peacocks take note. There is no judgement cast<br />
here. Street style photographers will be kept busy as<br />
dandies from around the world show up in Paris to<br />
strut their own style and also get up close with the new<br />
collections of some of the world’s biggest labels and<br />
independent sartorial craftsmen.<br />
5<br />
AUSTRALIAN OPEN<br />
WHERE? Melbourne, Australia<br />
WHEN? <strong>Jan</strong>uary 15-28<br />
Roger Federer is the reigning champion of the<br />
Australian Open. But the one who you should punt on<br />
Novak Djokovic. The Serbian has won six of the last 10<br />
Australian Opens and he looks set to return to his<br />
winning streak in 20<strong>18</strong>. There’s a great deal of<br />
speculation on whether Serena Williams will make her<br />
tennis comeback this month – a pregnant Williams won<br />
the Australian Open last year, becoming a 23-time<br />
Grand Slam Champion. We’ll wait and see.<br />
7<br />
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL<br />
WHERE? Park City, USA<br />
WHEN? <strong>Jan</strong>uary <strong>18</strong> – 28<br />
With the Weinstein scandal looming large, film<br />
festivals and award ceremonies towards the end of<br />
2017 and 20<strong>18</strong> are expectedly muted. However,<br />
expect Sundance to make some noise – in a good<br />
way. From indie, noir to borderline mainstream,<br />
there are several films that will be showcased at one<br />
of the most high-profile film festivals of the year.<br />
8<br />
WHERE? Davos, Switzerland<br />
WHEN? <strong>Jan</strong>uary 23 – 26<br />
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM<br />
There’s a good reason that the neologism<br />
“Davos Man” has taken root in popular<br />
culture. Wealthy businessmen, world<br />
leaders and the 0.1 of the 0.1 financial<br />
elite will show up at the alpine ski resort in<br />
Davos in <strong>Jan</strong>uary to discuss, dissect<br />
and commit to economic policies that<br />
will impact the lives of hundreds of<br />
millions, if not billions of people. The<br />
key theme of the big debate at Davos<br />
this year is “Responsive and Responsible<br />
Leadership”<br />
13<br />
EQUITY
FINANCE<br />
“WE’RE EXPERTS AT<br />
COMMERCIALISING<br />
CULTURE”<br />
Gregg Sedgwick, Founder of Gallery One, talks about<br />
the rise of cultural retail in the UAE<br />
By Meryl D’souza<br />
There isn’t much I remember about my father.<br />
Not a lot of good anyway. However, I do<br />
remember him claiming to be a hustler. A highschool<br />
dropout, one of his favourite stories to<br />
tell was when he took up a job as a bellboy in a hotel. The<br />
pay obviously wasn’t great but he found a way to con<br />
tourists and make a quick buck. At the time, postcards were<br />
the rage. He would convince guests not to buy postcards<br />
from the hotel because they were overpriced. Instead, he<br />
would sell them postcards from his “personal collection”.<br />
His victims didn’t know that as the bellboy, one of his duties<br />
was to give the hotel’s guests a complimentary postcard<br />
before their departure. He knew tourists wouldn’t mind<br />
paying a fee if it meant they could take a bit of their vacation<br />
destination’s culture with them. He didn’t know it, but he<br />
was already a cultural retailer. Thankfully, not everyone out<br />
there is out to deceive people.<br />
“For me, it all started from a small unit in Souq Madinat<br />
Jumeirah about 10 years ago,” says Gallery One Founder<br />
Gregg Sedgwick. “I was not a retailer. I was a designer<br />
who had previously worked in branding and had sold his<br />
media company in London to WPP. Gallery One was<br />
simply a passion project that, very naturally, became what<br />
it is today.”<br />
For those wondering, today, Gallery One is the region’s<br />
leading cultural retailer that brings art to the masses in the<br />
hopes of creating a non-elitist environment around the<br />
subject. “Very often, there’s this misconception that<br />
people need to have a deep understanding of art in order<br />
to appreciate it,” he says. “Art can be appreciated in a<br />
purely aesthetic level. I say that as a creative person who<br />
studied art and as someone who is trained as a designer.<br />
And despite being so informed on the subject, I get<br />
nervous about the pretentiousness that surrounds art. Art<br />
doesn’t need to be complicated, it shouldn’t be<br />
complicated and over intellectualised.”<br />
Basically, art isn’t just for the fedora- and monoclewearing<br />
snobs who spend hours debating the deeper<br />
meaning behind an abstract painting. “When people like<br />
Andy Warhol were working in the Sixties, they weren’t over<br />
thinking about their art pieces. He, for instance, just went<br />
about producing highly visual works that appealed to him.<br />
It’s the snobs today that tend to read too much into it.”<br />
When Sedgwick started Gallery One about a decade ago,<br />
he saw an opportunity: cultural retail. Cultural retail is<br />
essentially the art of taking culture expressed through a<br />
painting, sculpture, pattern or calligraphy and<br />
commercialising it into a product. “Think about it for a<br />
minute,” Sedgwick says with a twinkle in his eyes. “If you<br />
go to any of the great museums or galleries in the world,<br />
like the Museum of Modern Art in Midtown Manhattan or<br />
the Tate Modern in London, the busiest spot is not the<br />
exhibition hall but the shop. I was at the Peggy<br />
Guggenheim Collection in Venice recently. It was such a<br />
beautiful gallery. She’s got original Mark Rothko and<br />
Alberto Giacometti pieces in there, which are amazing and<br />
busy, but then you go to the shop which is a tiny little<br />
room and it’s packed. Those shops in those galleries and<br />
museum spaces, they epitomise cultural retail.”<br />
Sedgwick reckons that the first idea of cultural retail<br />
started with the production of postcards about 200 years<br />
ago. People visiting tourist hotspots would spend<br />
thousands on postcards to remind themselves of their<br />
experiences. Sedgwick noted that despite being steeped in<br />
culture, no one in Dubai thought to commercialise it.<br />
Sedgwick took regional artists and photographers and<br />
started creating products like boxes, coasters and other<br />
memorabilia. “Taking a local artist and creating a painting<br />
or taking a calligrapher and using his talents to craft a<br />
commercial product is the easy bit,” he says. “The hard<br />
part is making a sustainable business model out of it.”<br />
In any other part of the world, it would have been<br />
14<br />
EQUITY
FINANCE<br />
Taking a local artist and creating<br />
a painting or taking a calligrapher<br />
and using his talents to craft a<br />
commercial product is the easy bit.<br />
The hard part is making a<br />
sustainable business model out of it<br />
15<br />
EQUITY
FINANCE<br />
relatively harder. Sedgwick, and by extension Gallery One,<br />
was smart enough to use circumstances to further the<br />
business model. “We were a tad lucky,” he confesses. “We<br />
piggybacked on the exponential rise<br />
in the UAE’s tourism sector. Gallery<br />
One grew along with that trend and<br />
went from one person in a tiny shop<br />
to a staff of about 130 people.”<br />
The art scene in the UAE, Dubai in<br />
particular, is unrecognisable from<br />
where it stood about 10 years ago.<br />
It’s far more vibrant, alternative and<br />
interactive, yet still brimming with<br />
opportunity. Sedgwick claims he’s<br />
at his most creative when he’s in<br />
Dubai. “Dubai has always been an<br />
opportunity,” he says. “It’s not a blank<br />
canvas anymore, but there are still gaps<br />
to be filled. Today, we’re not the only<br />
ones engaging in cultural retail and<br />
despite that, we’re inundated with work. We’re experts at<br />
commercialising culture.”<br />
Products at Gallery One sell from anywhere between<br />
Dhs20 to Dhs15,000. While customers who feel far more<br />
Dubai has always been<br />
an opportunity.<br />
It’s not a blank canvas<br />
anymore, but there are<br />
still gaps to be filled.<br />
Today, we’re not the only<br />
ones engaging in cultural<br />
retail and despite that,<br />
we’re inundated with work<br />
comfortable with purchasing limited-edition pieces remain<br />
the target market, Sedgwick and his team refuse to neglect<br />
customer with lighter wallets. Surprisingly he’s not even put<br />
off with millennials. Sedgwick believes<br />
millennials aren’t dissimilar to other<br />
generations. “They seek products that<br />
are authentic and of limited edition,”<br />
he says. “I think millennials appreciate<br />
those values. Probably more so than<br />
other generations because they’re<br />
looking for that point of difference. In<br />
a mass market, it’s hard to stand out,<br />
by using regional influences, we create<br />
products that do just that.”<br />
The challenge for Gallery One now<br />
though is appealing to those<br />
millennials through their most<br />
preferred channel of consumption:<br />
social media. “Our products tend to<br />
be visual and social media is<br />
imperative to that exposure. Having said that, I’m far more<br />
analogue as you can see,” Sedgwick says running his hand<br />
through his perfectly coiffed salt and pepper hair. “It’s<br />
something we still need to get up to speed with.”<br />
16<br />
EQUITY
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17<br />
EQUITY
WOMAN LEADER<br />
THE<br />
CHANGEMAKER<br />
Breaking stereotypes and misconceptions is Abu Dhabibased<br />
investment manager Asma Saeed Al Hamiz,<br />
an emotional wellness consultant who is giving women<br />
in the region a fighting chance<br />
By Varun Godinho<br />
The Sofia University,<br />
formerly known<br />
as the Institute<br />
of Transpersonal<br />
Psychology, is<br />
located smack dab in<br />
the middle of Silicon<br />
Valley. Founded<br />
back in 1975, you’d<br />
imagine that this<br />
university would have already witnessed<br />
nationalities from nearly every country across the<br />
world studying in its corridors. But you’re wrong.<br />
Back in 2012, when Asma Al Hamiz – an Abu<br />
Dhabi-based investment manager – enrolled<br />
there for a Masters of Arts in Psychology, she<br />
was the very first Emirati to do so.<br />
Doing so, meant that she had to challenge<br />
perceptions and stereotypes about the region she<br />
came from in the otherwise progressive Palo Alto<br />
community that’s fostered tech giants from Tesla<br />
and Facebook to Pinterest and Hewlett Packard.<br />
“Many people who met me were surprised<br />
because they see Dubai and the UAE only on<br />
screens and I was bridging that gap between<br />
reality and fantasy. They would say, ‘Are there<br />
people who are actually natives of the UAE?’ ”<br />
But it worked the other way around too. The<br />
Emirati student also needed to shatter some of<br />
her own pre-conceived ideas about westerners.<br />
“It was an eye-opening experience for me<br />
despite my exposure to the West from my<br />
extensive travels, despite the UAE being a<br />
melting pot of cultures, despite my work in the<br />
hedge fund world. Going to California which is<br />
one of the most progressive states and also to a<br />
school which attracted creative exceptional<br />
students who are looking for transformative<br />
education experiences was an eye-opener.”<br />
THE FINANCE WHIZ<br />
Asma comes from a family that was already<br />
well-intertwined with the local investment field<br />
in the UAE. “My dad until very recently, he<br />
retired this year, was the assistant governor of<br />
banking supervision in the Central Bank of the<br />
UAE. He was always keen on my academic and<br />
professional development.” Meanwhile, her<br />
mother, the eldest of four women siblings, is<br />
responsible for her family business after she<br />
retired from her job as a teacher.<br />
Asma began her investment career in 2004<br />
and was hired as the assistant vice president in<br />
the hedge funds department of the Abu Dhabi<br />
<strong>18</strong><br />
EQUITY
WOMAN LEADER<br />
19<br />
EQUITY
WOMAN LEADER<br />
Investment Company shortly after she<br />
completed her bachelor’s in business<br />
administration. But to move up the ranks, she<br />
quickly realised that she needed to tool herself<br />
with additional qualifications. In 2009, she<br />
enrolled herself into an executive MBA<br />
programme at the London Business School. “I<br />
did a 16-month executive MBA course from the<br />
London Business School. My boss at that time<br />
at the Abu Dhabi Investment Council would say<br />
to me, ‘You’re a part-time student, but a fulltime<br />
employee.’ But I managed both worlds.<br />
The studies were very intense.” Here too, she<br />
was again a torchbearer for women from the<br />
UAE breaking their own glass ceilings. “I am<br />
one of the first few Emirati women who<br />
graduated from the London Business School.”<br />
The gamble to go back to her books paid off and<br />
Asma quickly found herself not long after that<br />
appointed as the director of the national bank of<br />
Abu Dhabi global multi-strategy fund. Having<br />
reached a new peak in her financial career, she<br />
decided to take a two-year sabbatical and go to San<br />
Francisco where she could study psychology.<br />
PSYCHOLOGY AND THE UAE<br />
While the UAE has made remarkable strides in<br />
the areas of infrastructure and technological<br />
advancements, there are areas that are only<br />
recently gaining traction – chief among them is<br />
the requirement for locally trained and qualified<br />
psychologists who can additionally recognise<br />
and cater to the need to create a greater<br />
awareness among people seeking help. “You<br />
must appreciate the UAE is 46 years old and this<br />
field was underrepresented. I was fortunate to<br />
have my parents who studied and lived abroad<br />
and had the necessary awareness. Ten-twenty<br />
years ago there wasn’t much awareness of<br />
mental health or self-development. It’s<br />
surprising how quickly we’ve caught up though<br />
with what the West is doing in this field.”<br />
In San Francisco, Asma began conducting<br />
community workshops where she counselled<br />
homeless communities and children diagnosed<br />
with Autism. She fulfilled over 360-hours of<br />
one-on-one counselling and community<br />
development work that she required to earn her<br />
degree. Equipped with a freshly-minted<br />
professional set of skills in psychology, Asma<br />
decided to return to the UAE and conduct ‘selfdevelopment’<br />
workshops here.<br />
She prefers the term ‘self-development’ over<br />
‘mental health’ not so much because of the<br />
stigma surrounding the latter term, but because<br />
the former is more inclusive to the course<br />
content of her workshops titled ‘Creative<br />
Expression’. “Mental health taps the emotions<br />
and behaviour. Self-development is specifically<br />
focused on interpersonal and intrapersonal<br />
relations and focused on the development of<br />
self.”<br />
“My workshops focus on reinforcing one’s<br />
own sense of self, asserting one’s own<br />
personality, understanding all aspects the<br />
character especially the less pretty ones, and<br />
offering guidance and support. Creative<br />
expression is tapping into a non-verbal message<br />
of success in yourself. It can be through<br />
movement meditation, painting, drawing or<br />
writing.”<br />
These workshops, as Asma explains, serve<br />
three main purposes: assembling a like-minded<br />
community, helping participants to set goals and<br />
focus on what they want to achieve and thirdly<br />
help them to learn more about themselves<br />
during the course itself.<br />
Interestingly, ever since Asma began<br />
conducting her workshops here in the UAE, all<br />
the participants have been women. “So far it’s<br />
been 100 per cent Arab women who have<br />
attended my workshop. Of these, around 90 per<br />
cent are Emiratis. I’m actually quite surprised<br />
how open and ready and encouraged these<br />
women already are,” says Asma.<br />
While committing herself to one-on-onecounselling<br />
sessions and group workshops,<br />
Asma has continued to pursue her finance<br />
career. She’s now an investment banker with the<br />
UAE’s sovereign wealth fund. “I’m part of the<br />
asset management and treasury team. It’s my<br />
responsibility to recommend high performance<br />
managers, monitor the existing funds, do<br />
investment diligence on new funds, and to<br />
maintain relationships with fund managers.” As<br />
a woman who has broken many firsts in the field<br />
of finance and psychology, Asma remains<br />
optimistic about the future of women in finance<br />
in the region. “Emirati women are blessed to<br />
have the opportunity to join investment banks<br />
in the UAE. And we have all the support we<br />
need whether its training or exposure from our<br />
leaders and our management.<br />
“The cultural aspect is very important. Us<br />
Arab women have gone beyond the cultural<br />
hurdle. There are some families in a few regions<br />
where it’s difficult for women to work or enter<br />
the workplace. But this is changing quickly and<br />
I’ve seen the drive and motivation of women<br />
change a lot.”<br />
Through her workshops, Asma is driving that<br />
change rather than passively waiting on the<br />
sidelines and expecting the change to happen,<br />
one woman at a time. Props.<br />
20<br />
EQUITY
WOMAN LEADER<br />
The cultural aspect<br />
is very important.<br />
Us Arab women<br />
have gone beyond<br />
the cultural hurdle.<br />
There are some<br />
families in a few<br />
regions where it’s<br />
difficult for women<br />
to work or enter<br />
the workplace. But<br />
this is changing<br />
quickly and I’ve<br />
seen the drive and<br />
motivation of<br />
women change<br />
a lot<br />
21<br />
EQUITY
ENTREPRENEUR<br />
“WE AREN’T<br />
JUST luxury<br />
In an exclusive interview, CEO<br />
of The Roberto Cavalli Group,<br />
Gian Giacomo Ferraris, touches<br />
upon the evolution of the brand<br />
synonymous with seduction<br />
fashion.<br />
By Nicola Monteath<br />
ROBERTO<br />
CAVALLI<br />
is a<br />
way of life”<br />
22<br />
EQUITY
ENTREPRENEUR<br />
Reminiscing the<br />
brand over 15<br />
years ago, my first<br />
memory of<br />
Roberto Cavalli<br />
was a perfume<br />
gifted by an aunt.<br />
The slender bottle<br />
with a snake cap<br />
lured me into the<br />
world of glamour.<br />
In a classroom<br />
filled with<br />
feminine, fruity<br />
and floral aromas (remember Fantasy by Britney Spears?)<br />
my seductive scent stood out like a swan among ducks.<br />
Maybe a little too mature for my age at that point, but it<br />
wasn’t just the scent that earned my affection. It was the<br />
packaging, distinct print and allure of it all that made me<br />
fall head over heels for the brand. A year later, my ambition<br />
was to become Roberto Cavalli’s muse – this was around<br />
the time 5 ft 6 inches Kate Moss came onto the scene.<br />
Naturally, being the same height, even though nowhere<br />
close in appearance or measurements, made me dream big<br />
and wished the young girl from Dubai was scouted. The<br />
dream faded when I realised no one was coming for me,<br />
and my true calling was in journalism.<br />
Fast forward to 20<strong>18</strong>. Roberto Cavalli isn’t in the picture<br />
anymore – he sold the company and kept 10 per cent of<br />
the shares – however, his heritage lives on. When <strong>Equity</strong><br />
was approached with the opportunity to be the exclusive<br />
business publication to interview the newly appointed<br />
CEO of the Roberto Cavalli Group, Gian Giacomo<br />
Ferraris, I jumped at the chance to discover more about<br />
the brand I recollect distinctively since my teenage years.<br />
I met with Gian Giacomo Ferraris, an Italian gentleman<br />
who grew up in Turin, north of Italy, and fell into the<br />
industry almost by chance. “I had a lucky career. After I<br />
graduated I had the possibility to work with a management<br />
consultant and through that I entered the fashion business.<br />
I studied Engineering with textiles on the side, and for this<br />
reason, I entered the industry and worked in Germany,<br />
with the Gucci group, Prada, Versace and now finally,<br />
Roberto Cavalli,” he tells me. Ferraris is a sophisticated<br />
man, boasting that Italian charm that the men from the<br />
country emanate effortlessly. From the sounds of it, he<br />
was at the right place, at the right time, climbing the ranks<br />
with perseverance. “The fashion industry was expanding<br />
in Italy, making it a natural fit to step in and progress<br />
within the sector. I knew I would advance into other<br />
luxury fashion brands.”<br />
As we speak of the drastic changes within the retail sector,<br />
it’s unimaginable to think of an age without e-commerce.<br />
Sure, most of us grew up without clicking away on Net-a-<br />
Porter or Amazon, but with the boom of technology and<br />
retail, the demand for brick and mortar stores diminished.<br />
That isn’t to say people don’t want, or prefer, that tactile<br />
feeling and shopping experience. It’s just all the more<br />
convenient to shop online, and return anything that you<br />
don’t like, without the hassle of spending a few hours in the<br />
process. Ferraris comments, “I began my journey at a point<br />
when e-commerce didn’t exist. 10 years ago, brick and<br />
mortar businesses were all the craze. Now, brands develop<br />
without a physical shop. It’s all about creativity and catching<br />
the customers through these platforms. It’s taken over our<br />
lives in terms of shopping.” And when there is change and<br />
opportunity, there are threats.<br />
Ferraris was pulled into Roberto Cavalli to evolve the<br />
brand, yet retain the DNA and lifestyle Roberto Cavalli<br />
built through the decades. “Some years ago, if you were<br />
great in Europe, you were great worldwide. In today’s day<br />
and age, you need to have a distinguishing presence<br />
worldwide. I think we were called to clean up the dust<br />
after the situation, after Roberto sold the company two<br />
years ago,” he says. To allow the brand to reach its essence,<br />
major steps were taken, including permitting the brand to<br />
bleed and run over, because under certain dimensions it<br />
does become hard for a brand to compete. The second<br />
step, was to balance the cost and respect the turnover,<br />
which after one year, they are happy to report will be as<br />
promised. The most challenging and significant part,<br />
Gian Giacomo Ferraris<br />
23<br />
EQUITY
24<br />
EQUITY<br />
ENTREPRENEUR
ENTREPRENEUR<br />
This is an exciting<br />
time for the brand,<br />
even more so since the<br />
menswear collection<br />
is close to ready and<br />
to be presented at this<br />
year’s shows<br />
however, was to find a fresh and ground-breaking Roberto<br />
Cavalli brand. “He was one of the top designers for<br />
women in the Nineties, being renowned for seduction. But<br />
this concept has changed. A young woman from this era<br />
has a different idea of seduction,” says Ferraris.<br />
To diversify the portfolio and grow with the industry’s<br />
demands, the CEO reassessed and restructured the<br />
company’s Osmannoro manufacturing plant, bringing the<br />
production of the men, children and textile accessories’<br />
collections in-house. To branch out into certain markets,<br />
especially Asia (for menswear) it became vital to manage<br />
the collections from design and product development,<br />
down to the supply chain, through to distribution.<br />
“Internalising the men and children’s wear was important.<br />
Knowing the brand, and the fact that it is a luxury fashion<br />
lifestyle concept and has a distinctive DNA. One of the<br />
things we are changing is to not delegate the business to<br />
others. We bought back the licenses of menswear,<br />
accessories, and every important aspect as we didn’t want<br />
dilution,” Ferraris comments on the future of the brand.<br />
Creative Director Paul Surridge was an essential element<br />
of the mix. Previously at ACNE, the Swedish brand,<br />
Surridge was knowledgeable of the trends the younger folk<br />
leaned towards. “It took me time to convince him. He was<br />
at a great contemporary brand, already engaging the<br />
younger generation. So, he fit in with what we were looking<br />
for,” says Ferraris. Surridge spends his days in Florence,<br />
and has managed to respect the DNA of Robert Cavalli,<br />
while embracing the future. “He was able to translate the<br />
code of the brand and interpret it in a contemporary<br />
seductive manner. It’s athletic but luxurious at the same<br />
time,” he goes on to say, talking about the latest collection<br />
that has progressed from seductive evening wear to<br />
ensembles apt for the modern-day woman. Similarly,<br />
developing the menswear collection has become vital for<br />
the brand to succeed. Ferraris tells us that it’s impossible<br />
to be successful in the Asian market without menswear<br />
and accessories. When asked to define the collection, he<br />
does so in Paul’s words, “progressive luxury”<br />
Roberto Cavalli has been quite a renowned fixture<br />
within the Middle East as well, with the core business<br />
being womenswear, followed by lifestyle products<br />
including watches and home décor. “We aren’t just luxury<br />
fashion. Roberto Cavalli is a lifestyle concept that is a way<br />
of life,” says Ferraris. People prefer to live in a similar<br />
lavish environment, with home furnishing and high-end<br />
pieces that surround them, not just slip in and out of attire<br />
from time to time.<br />
When asked if the brand creates collection to suit certain<br />
markets, Ferraris replies, “We are going through the<br />
evolution of the brand right now. It’s important to have<br />
one voice, one identity. We aren’t doing collections<br />
specific to a market or the locals, but we are careful the<br />
way certain categories are presented. In Asia, it’s quite<br />
casual, very bombastic, so we do tailor the pieces to<br />
appeal to all. In the Middle East, historically, evening<br />
gowns own the biggest share of the market. But with this<br />
new collection, we are proposing a different way to be<br />
seductive through trousers, coats and knitwear,” he tells<br />
me with thrill.<br />
“This is an exciting time for the brand, even more so,<br />
since the menswear collection is close to ready and to be<br />
presented at this year’s shows.” When our interview<br />
ended, we looked at the latest womenswear collection,<br />
noticeably characteristic with plenty for women who live<br />
in trousers, pant suits and statement jewellery and slides.<br />
Since I can’t be a muse, I could live in Roberto Cavalli’s<br />
attire at least, right?<br />
25<br />
EQUITY
Bombardier, Global 6000 and Exceptional by Design are trademarks of<br />
Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. © 2017 Bombardier Inc. All rights reserved.<br />
We didn’t get here by sheer luck. This was deliberate.<br />
An act of craftsmanship and engineering prowess. Decades in the making.<br />
Meeting at the intersection of art and technology. Defying conventions.<br />
Redefining luxury. So when all is said and done,<br />
we’ll know that we achieved something truly extraordinary.<br />
businessaircraft.bombardier.com<br />
26<br />
EQUITY
COVER STORY<br />
NOW THIS<br />
IMAGES BY SUPPLIED; SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
IS A STORY…<br />
Fabián W. Waintal takes a walk down memory lane, while<br />
discussing the recently launched Netflix movie, Bright, with Will Smith<br />
27<br />
EQUITY
COVER STORY<br />
It was quite the surprise when Will Smith<br />
appeared at the Cannes Film Festival as a<br />
member of the jury. And an even bigger<br />
surprise when he was the only one<br />
defending Netflix for showing their movie<br />
without releasing it at a movie theatre. But<br />
now that we know he’s the star of the new<br />
Netflix film Bright, it all makes sense. And<br />
around an audience more familiar to his<br />
movie styles, in Comic Con-San Diego, he<br />
talked about it for the first time.<br />
Could you present yourself to those who don’t know you<br />
at all?<br />
Will Smith, Libra. I like long walks on the beach. I’m around<br />
if you’re around [laughs].<br />
People knew who Will Smith was first with a TV show<br />
like ‛The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’, then the international<br />
audience with movies. Do you think Netflix will open<br />
yourself to another type of audience, or do you consider<br />
it a millennial modern movie theatre?<br />
You know I have a 16-year-old, a 19-year-old and a 25-yearold<br />
at home. Their viewing habits are almost anthropological.<br />
It’s a great study to be able to see how they still go to the<br />
movies on Friday and Saturday night and watch Netflix all<br />
week. You know, so it’s two completely different experiences.<br />
But it’s an experience. I don’t think anyone’s trying to say that<br />
it’s an identical experience. Yes, I was on The Fresh Prince of Bel<br />
Air. People would see me on the street and scream “Will!<br />
Will! Will!” And then Independence Day came out and that<br />
Monday after that everybody referred to me as Mr. Smith. So<br />
there’s definitely something about that big screen that<br />
penetrates people in a very different kind of way. But it’s a<br />
different medium than Netflix.<br />
But do you understand that movie theater owners are<br />
worried about Netflix as their competition?<br />
It’s very different. I’m sure it was the same kind of vibe when<br />
the transition happened from theater acting, where you went<br />
to go see a play and then someone decided they were going to<br />
film it and put it together and move it to a movie theater. You<br />
know, I’m sure that you know the purists had that same kind<br />
of feeling, but it’s different. It’s not the same thing. It’s<br />
something different; it’s almost a new art form.<br />
Is there more creative freedom in Netflix, when they<br />
don’t need to worry about getting their money back with<br />
the box office?<br />
Well, the major difference is the Netflix business model is<br />
different in a way, because it’s subscription based where what<br />
gets created is that their risk profile is different. Netflix can<br />
make a hard rated R film for $170 million. The studios can’t do<br />
that. If the executive wants to be at work on Monday, but you<br />
know the risk profile if they’re going to spend $170 million,<br />
28<br />
EQUITY
COVER STORY<br />
29<br />
EQUITY
COVER STORY<br />
The Netflix business model is<br />
different in a way, because it’s<br />
subscription based where what<br />
gets created is that their risk<br />
profile is different. So, Netflix can<br />
make a hard rated R film for $170<br />
million. As an artist, it’s free in that<br />
way that you get to be creative<br />
that gets slightly just confined<br />
when everybody’s jobs are on the<br />
line for the success<br />
of the three days<br />
Well, I think Mr. Nolan is a wonderful director, and I will<br />
not say anything that will keep me from being in his next<br />
movie (laughs).<br />
when you make a movie that expensive you have to broaden<br />
the audience which means that you have to be P.G. 13. Right?<br />
It is a huge decision where you make a film of that magnitude<br />
based on the risk profile. So, at Netflix, based on the<br />
subscription, they can make anything for any number that they<br />
feel like they’re fan base is going to want to see. As an artist, it’s<br />
free in that way that you get to be creative that gets slightly just<br />
confined when everybody’s jobs are on the line for the success<br />
of the three days.<br />
Should we compare Netflix with the TV productions or<br />
Cable TV, then, where you don’t try to make more<br />
money with the box office?<br />
They work off of specific data they know ahead of time, for<br />
instance with the director of ‛Suicide Squad’ and with me at this<br />
point in my career and you know they go through and they<br />
have numbers on everybody. They add the numbers up and<br />
say, ‛Yes it works.’ They go and they know who’s going to buy<br />
the movie even before you shoot it. It’s a completely different<br />
basis of how they work that the trickle down is that between<br />
action and cut we get to do whatever we want.<br />
And what do you think when you hear a director like<br />
Christopher Nolan saying that the Netflix film strategy<br />
is mindless and he would refuse to work with them?<br />
Is that your nice way out to ignore a question?<br />
I don’t want to ignore your question. But I think that you<br />
know there are certain things that you want to see on a big<br />
screen. You know, it’s like I remember the Christmas that<br />
Avatar came out and our entire family rushed out on<br />
Christmas day to go with the glasses and all that. There is<br />
an experience and you know specifically the type of films<br />
that Chris Nolan makes you want to see them in in that<br />
space. It’s like the venue is a part of the experience.<br />
Have you ever felt any transition in your career, the<br />
way the movie world is feeling it with Netflix?<br />
It is such a new world. I released my first record in ’86, you<br />
know I’m over 30 years in the business. I’ve seen you<br />
know, my first album. There were no CDs. So, it wasn’t<br />
until my second album that they came out with these hot<br />
little discs called CDs, so I’m seeing that transition.<br />
Essentially the fans being more and more involved in the<br />
creative process in terms of movie stardom. It’s a huge<br />
difference. It’s like today you almost can’t make new<br />
movie stars anymore.<br />
Why?<br />
There was a certain amount of privacy and there was a<br />
certain amount of distance that you had from the<br />
audience and only on July 4th, did you have access so<br />
that amount of access created is bigger than life kind of<br />
thing. But in the shift into this new world it’s almost like<br />
a friendship. Like with the fans the relationship is less<br />
like the time of Madonna, Michael Jackson, these gigantic<br />
30<br />
EQUITY
COVER STORY<br />
figures because you can’t create that anymore.<br />
The shift is to, we’re best friends, with the<br />
comments and with those pictures and I like that.<br />
Do you like it?<br />
I love trying to make that shift and make that<br />
transition into the new demands of the fans in<br />
this business.<br />
Do you realise that your fans are comparing<br />
your Bright character with the look you used<br />
to have in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air?<br />
It’s that damn mustache. I hated that mustache.<br />
It was so bad.<br />
How much reality is behind the fantasy of the<br />
movie Bright?<br />
This is a drama that happens to be set in a world<br />
where there is a huge difference, but it is our world;<br />
it should feel like our world. They went to great<br />
pains to make it look like our world and we shot in<br />
Los Angeles, always at night, which was very<br />
difficult but for some of us.<br />
What did you like the most about the idea of<br />
the movie?<br />
The idea was spectacular for me as an African<br />
American playing a police officer that was racist<br />
against the first orc on the force. It’s like the flip of<br />
those social concepts. As a black dude, you just don’t<br />
get a lot of movies where you’re the racist. And it was<br />
really great. “Yo man, I don’t want no orc in my car.”<br />
You know you never get to say that (laughs).<br />
Will we see those kind of violent dynamics<br />
played between law enforcement and also<br />
the Orcs and the supernatural creatures on<br />
the show?<br />
Yeah for sure. You know, our director David<br />
Ayer doesn’t find a necessity to be delicate with<br />
those issues. This is a film that is about enjoyment<br />
and entertainment. And those under currents and<br />
undertones of the film are specifically for people<br />
to be able to think about it.<br />
31<br />
EQUITY
FINANCE<br />
THE EVOLUTION OF<br />
1962<br />
USA<br />
The City Bank of<br />
New York installed<br />
an experimental<br />
Bankograph – a<br />
machine that<br />
accepted envelope<br />
deposits of coins,<br />
cash and cheques.<br />
1965<br />
UNITED KINGDOM<br />
While in the bathtub,<br />
John Shepherd-Barron<br />
comes up with the idea<br />
of a cash dispensing<br />
machine after hitting<br />
upon the idea of a<br />
chocolate bar dispenser.<br />
1966<br />
UNITED KINGDOM<br />
1967<br />
James Goodfellow<br />
earned a meagre $15<br />
after patenting the<br />
Personal Identification<br />
Number (PIN).<br />
JUNE<br />
UNITED KINGDOM<br />
Barclays Bank and John<br />
Shepherd-Barron, who worked<br />
for printing firm De La Rue,<br />
unveiled the first iteration of the<br />
ATM christened “Barclaycash” in<br />
the bank’s Enfield Town branch.<br />
Transactions were initiated by<br />
inserting paper cheques issued<br />
by a teller or cashier, marked<br />
with carbon-14 for machine<br />
readability and security.<br />
USA<br />
Following the success<br />
of these machines<br />
in the UK, systems<br />
similar to magnetic<br />
card ATMs make<br />
their United States<br />
debut in Long<br />
Island, New York.<br />
1969<br />
UNITED KINGDOM<br />
A month after<br />
Barclaycash, Westminster<br />
Bank’s debuted the Smith<br />
Industries-Chubb<br />
machine. The CHUBB<br />
MD2 became the first<br />
automated cash<br />
dispenser to use a plastic<br />
card with perforated holes<br />
and read a PIN.<br />
JULY<br />
1967<br />
SWEDEN<br />
A mere nine days later,<br />
Sweden showed off the<br />
Bankomat – an automated<br />
cash dispensing machine<br />
that used an optical device<br />
to read an encoded serial<br />
number on a plastic card<br />
to withdraw money from<br />
an account.<br />
JULY<br />
1967<br />
UNITED<br />
KINGDOM<br />
Back then,<br />
the machine<br />
only allowed<br />
for maximum<br />
withdrawal<br />
of $14.<br />
JUNE<br />
1967<br />
1975<br />
USA<br />
IBM took it upon<br />
themselves to launch<br />
the second generation<br />
of ATMs and<br />
revolutionized banking.<br />
It was among the first<br />
true ATMs,<br />
similar in<br />
function to<br />
today’s<br />
machines.<br />
1984<br />
USA<br />
Using IBM’s tech, the<br />
United States’ National<br />
Cash Register<br />
Corporation (NCR)<br />
creates the first fully<br />
functional ATM that<br />
offers transfers,<br />
payments, bank<br />
statements and<br />
envelope deposits.<br />
1994<br />
USA<br />
Ten years later, the<br />
world’s first<br />
independently<br />
owned ATM, Triton<br />
9500, is installed at<br />
a convenience<br />
store in the<br />
United States.<br />
1996<br />
USA<br />
Cirrus and Pulse networks<br />
remove rule that bans<br />
surcharging on ATMs in<br />
their networks.<br />
32<br />
EQUITY
FINANCE<br />
USA<br />
The world’s first<br />
wireless ATM is<br />
deployed on a riverboat<br />
casino in USA.<br />
1998<br />
POLAND<br />
The world’s first<br />
biometric ATM is<br />
unveiled in Poland.<br />
2010<br />
UNITED ARAB<br />
EMIRATES<br />
The Emirates Palace<br />
hotel in Abu Dhabi<br />
installs a gold<br />
dispensing ATM.<br />
2010<br />
The world celebrates<br />
50 years of the ATM.<br />
Not too shabby for an<br />
invention that even the<br />
inventor thought<br />
would die out after a<br />
couple of years.<br />
2017<br />
FIRST ATM DEPLOYMENTS BY REGION<br />
Russia<br />
Canada<br />
Iceland<br />
Norway<br />
Finland<br />
Denmark<br />
Sweden<br />
Switzerland<br />
United Kingdom<br />
Ireland<br />
Netherlands<br />
Germany<br />
France<br />
Poland<br />
Ukraine<br />
Belarus<br />
Republic of<br />
Korea<br />
1960's<br />
1970's<br />
1980's<br />
1990's<br />
2000's<br />
Mexico<br />
Nicaragua<br />
Guatemala<br />
Costa Rica<br />
El Salvador<br />
Columbia<br />
Ecuador<br />
Peru<br />
USA<br />
Jamaica<br />
Honduras<br />
Virgin Islands<br />
Dominican<br />
Puerto Rico Republic<br />
Venezula<br />
Guyana<br />
Chile<br />
Bolivia<br />
Argentina<br />
Uruguay<br />
Brazil<br />
Spain<br />
Portugal<br />
Ghana<br />
Nigeria<br />
Cyprus<br />
Greece<br />
Turkey<br />
Egypt<br />
Iran<br />
Lebanon<br />
Pakistan<br />
Kenya<br />
Tanzania<br />
South Africa<br />
India<br />
Afghanistan<br />
Iraq<br />
Kazakhstan<br />
Vietnam<br />
Laos<br />
Singapore<br />
Indonesia<br />
China<br />
Hong Kong<br />
Malaysia<br />
Philippines<br />
Thailand<br />
Japan<br />
Australia<br />
New Zealand<br />
THE FUTURE<br />
With digital payment systems like Apple Pay,<br />
Samsung Pay and Google Wallet; digital currencies<br />
like Bitcoin and Ethereum; and not to mention the<br />
ability to pay using debit and credit cards, many<br />
believe ATMs are getting redundant. The problem<br />
with that theory is that there is more cash sloshing<br />
about than ever before. Euro notes and coins in<br />
circulation have doubled in number since the<br />
introduction of the common currency. Twice as<br />
many dollar bills are in circulation now than two<br />
decades ago. Americans took more money out of<br />
ATMs in 2012 than they did in 2003. Digital money is<br />
well and good, but there’s still a long way to go<br />
before we stop using ATMs.<br />
33<br />
EQUITY
THE LAMBORGHINI URUS SUV IS FINALLY HERE<br />
SAY HELLO TO THE WORLD’S FASTEST SUV<br />
DIOR HOMME AND BOGARDE<br />
UNVEIL NEW BMX AT SOLE DXB<br />
The $3,200 limited-edition Dior Homme Bogarde<br />
bike was showcased last week in Dubai<br />
MEET THE WORLD’S FIRST<br />
BITCOIN BILLIONAIRES<br />
The Winklevoss twins took their $11 million<br />
and turned it into $1 billion in just four years<br />
THE $42,000 LIMITED-EDITION<br />
JACKIE CHAN SKIS<br />
There’s a reason that Italian manufacturer Foil Skis<br />
are referred to as the Rolls-Royce of the skiing world<br />
THE WORLD’S LONGEST AND FASTEST<br />
ZIPLINE IS NOW IN THE UAE<br />
Measuring one kilometre, the world’s longest urban<br />
zipline boasts an average of 80 kilometres per hour<br />
Follow us on social media<br />
34<br />
EQUITY<br />
EQUITYMEDIAUAE
ody<br />
&<br />
soul<br />
Skiing in Courchevel <strong>18</strong>50 is<br />
one way to begin your year.<br />
When you hit the stores this<br />
month, look out for these key<br />
pieces and collections to amp<br />
up your wardrobe. Read on<br />
for weekend inspiration and<br />
leisure activities<br />
35<br />
EQUITY
TRENDS<br />
The<br />
CHECKLIST<br />
Chic picks to keep you vogueish this winter<br />
FASHION FORWARD<br />
Here at <strong>Equity</strong>, we understand that<br />
our readers are always ahead of the<br />
game, and seasons – wardrobe<br />
planning does take time after all.<br />
Oscar de la Renta’s Pre-Fall 20<strong>18</strong><br />
collection is where you should begin<br />
your closet planning, the minute it’s<br />
available at stores. Expect shirts in<br />
starchy white poplin coupled with<br />
dramatic cuffs, black wool crepe<br />
dress with pearls, and a reversible<br />
ivory shearling that works just as<br />
good on a chilly night out, as it<br />
would at work.<br />
oscardelarenta.com<br />
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EQUITY
TRENDS<br />
ROYAL APPROVAL<br />
Luxury handbag designer, Lana<br />
Marks, has finally launched her<br />
retail outlet in the UAE. The brand<br />
has been a favourite amongst<br />
celebrity clientele including the late<br />
Diana, Princess of Wales, Angelina<br />
Jolie, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Charlize<br />
Theron, to name a few. To paint a<br />
picture of the designer’s background,<br />
Lana Marks was once commissioned by<br />
the late Princess Diana to create a spectacular piece that would soon<br />
live within her closet, while transcending the test of time.<br />
The designer’s collection features handbags, belts, luggage and small<br />
leather goods in exotic leathers by Italian craftsman, and over 150 styles<br />
in 100 vibrant colours. On top of the list is none other than The Lana<br />
Marks Princess Diana Handbag in emerald green, as well as the Cleopatra<br />
Clutch, an icon that has graced the Academy Awards Red Carpet one too<br />
many times. Visit the store at Atlantis, The Palm<br />
THE RIGHT FOOT FORWARD<br />
New Year, new collections, new shoes. René<br />
Caovilla’s latest creation, the Caovilla Natale,<br />
is a piece of Venetian art. The designer’s pieces are<br />
rooted in history, with over 80 years of heritage,<br />
showcasing the city’s shoemaking industry<br />
at its finest. The workmanship, intricate<br />
embellishments and lace detail from ankle to toe,<br />
make this piece a timeless one. There’s a reason<br />
Marilyn Monroe said, “give a<br />
girl the right shoes, and she can conquer<br />
the world”. We have no doubts with this pair.<br />
Available at René Caovilla (Mall of the Emirates)<br />
EDGY EDITION<br />
Victoria’s Secret have released their<br />
first-ever limited-edition capsule<br />
collection with BALMAIN. The PUNK<br />
ANGEL collection entails 22 pieces<br />
including everything from lingerie to<br />
custom graffiti graphic tees, bras with<br />
Swarovski crystals, and seductive yet<br />
glamorous elements including mesh,<br />
studs and tartan prints. Olivier<br />
Rousteing, Creative Director of<br />
Balmain Paris, carefully designed these<br />
pieces to suit the modern stylish<br />
silhouette Victoria’s Secret is renowned<br />
for, and we’re sure women agree.<br />
Visit your nearest store to take your pick<br />
37<br />
EQUITY
IN STYLE<br />
HOP<br />
talk<br />
The stores to visit for<br />
Syour next shopping haul<br />
BON VOYAGE<br />
Etro’s Cruise Collection 20<strong>18</strong><br />
will have you yearning for a trip<br />
to the French Riviera, to don<br />
these timeless pieces with a<br />
hint of Oriental elements.<br />
Floral designs, paisley<br />
elements and elegant fabrics<br />
complement tassels and<br />
bold accessories. A coat or<br />
cardigan keeps you warm<br />
and cosy enough to beat<br />
the evening chill, while<br />
robe dresses, layered skirts<br />
and easy-to-wear kaftanlike<br />
dresses add<br />
sophistication to a day<br />
wardrobe. It’s all in the<br />
details. Etro.com<br />
LOCAL TALENT<br />
We’re all for supporting local talent, especially when its<br />
led by an ambitious woman who embraces feminism,<br />
women and empowerment. Hind Adib’s latest<br />
collection, The X, features a selection of gorgeous<br />
oversized vintage military and denim jackets, t-shirts and<br />
skirts with the iconic logo. hindadib.com<br />
SCENT OF MOROCCO<br />
A luxury product with a backstory is always worth<br />
investing into. Sana Jardin perfumes are created to<br />
empower the female flower harvesters of Morocco. Each<br />
fragrance offers the purest floral elements with a<br />
seductive scent that lingers from day to night. The natureinspired<br />
aromas include Berber Blonde (orange blossom),<br />
Savage Jasmine, Sandalwood Temple, Tiger by her Side<br />
(Amber), Celestial Patchouli, Nubian Musk and<br />
Revolution de la Fleur (Ylang Ylang). Each bottle is<br />
available for Dhs870, shopatsauce.com/sanajardin<br />
38<br />
EQUITY
Official Representative for<br />
Bahrain - Kuwait - Oman - Qatar<br />
Saudi Arabia - United Arab Emirates<br />
Mangusta has been the undisputed leader in yachting fun for the past 30 years:<br />
with its strength of character, timeless personal style<br />
and experience in building dreams.<br />
Today, Mangusta is a reference icon, a milestone in yachting fun since 1985,<br />
and now availalbe throughout the GCC, distributed by DG Marine.<br />
Motor City, Control Tower, 13th Floor, Studio 1302, Dubai - UAE<br />
Mobile: +971 50 20 666 11 - Tel: +971 4 450<br />
39<br />
36 39<br />
EQUITY<br />
Email: greg@mangusta.ae - Website: www.mangusta.ae - Instagram: mangustayachts_me
WELLNESS<br />
WELLNESS<br />
talk<br />
Keep fit with the latest in wellbeing<br />
trends and studios in the city<br />
Meet Amir Siddiqui, founder of<br />
Symmetry Gym, one of Dubai’s<br />
most exclusive facilities for<br />
personal training. Here, the fitness<br />
expert answers topical questions<br />
to suit our busy lifestyles<br />
Q<br />
A<br />
I’ve been hearing rave reviews of the Keto diet.<br />
Could you please tell me more about it from<br />
your perspective - is it worth trying?<br />
I'm not one for simplistic cookie-cutter replies, but<br />
if you would prefer my experience and researchbacked<br />
opinion right off the bat, without delving into the<br />
empirical and scientific reasoning, the answer is simple:<br />
The keto diet is the wrong diet for 99.9 per cent of the<br />
population and will do more harm than good.<br />
The long answer: The keto diet's popularity is<br />
inversely proportional to its effectiveness for fatloss.<br />
Initial weight loss is quick, but that's because<br />
you lose water and the glycogen (stored form of<br />
carbs in the body) that holds the water in your cells<br />
and tissues. So, it doesn’t cause fat-loss at all. But<br />
you end up losing water and glycogen, plus the fact<br />
that the latest research shows you end up losing<br />
more muscle than on other diets which do not<br />
lower carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are demonised<br />
for no good reason. We love finding scapegoats for<br />
our over-eating, over-indulging lifestyles. It used to<br />
be fat that we thought "caused" obesity. Now it's<br />
carbs. It's neither one of those. Any macronutrient<br />
excess (eating too much of anything) can result in<br />
adiposity (the flabbiness). Period.<br />
Keto and low carb dieting can be notorious for<br />
regained weight, if not well maintained. Why? People<br />
need carbs for optimal brain functioning, mood, and<br />
health. Not eating carbs for a little while gives you a<br />
kick of energy - but that is an "emergency" response -<br />
a result of increased stress and all its devious<br />
hormones. The key to fat loss is simple. Exercise<br />
more and eat less. No specific exercise or particular<br />
nutrient type is responsible for any physiological<br />
effects, negative or positive. Everything works in a<br />
cohesive net of an effect.<br />
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU<br />
It’s time to jump on the healthy eating bandwagon with a<br />
meal delivery service. You may be satiating hunger pangs<br />
with anything in sight, and eating more than your required<br />
carbohydrate or calorie intake. This leads to lethargy, lack of<br />
optimal cognitive functioning and a few extra pounds that<br />
you are well aware will take a few workout sessions to get<br />
rid of. With the launch of THE LUNCHBOX, all that can<br />
change in a jiffy. Nutritious meals are available with the fat,<br />
calorie, protein and carbohydrate content of each meal<br />
measured ahead, so you don’t have to. All dishes are glutenand<br />
sugar-free, and the diet is apt for those suffering from<br />
Type 2 diabetes, as it is low in carbohydrates.<br />
Meal plans are available from Dhs193 for lunch (weekly),<br />
Dhs760 for lunch (monthly) and Dhs1,490 for lunch and dinner<br />
monthly (five days a week). A la carte options are also available<br />
as daily meals. lowcarb.ae<br />
HOT IN HERE<br />
The latest fitness centre to pop up on the scene, and one to<br />
enjoy a class at with the ladies, is DRYP in Dubai Marina. The<br />
sweat hub offers hot yoga and fitness classes conducted in<br />
40-degree heat and +40 humidity. We can’t wait to try the<br />
90-minute Hatha yoga and the hot yoga sculpt to boost<br />
metabolism and build muscle with upbeat tunes playing in the<br />
background. Quench your thirst after at The DRYP Kitchen,<br />
where you can find everything from fresh coconut water to<br />
dairy-free smoothies, kale snacks and parfaits. dryp.ae<br />
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EQUITY
FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE QUALITY FLEURIER CERTIFICATION AND PARTNER OF THE FONDATION DE LA HAUTE HORLOGERIE<br />
RÉCITAL 20 ASTÉRIUM ®<br />
2 TIMES PATENTED<br />
10-DAY FLYING TOURBILLON<br />
NIGHT SKY ANNUAL CALENDAR<br />
WITH ASTRONOMICAL FUNCTIONS<br />
LIMITED EDITION<br />
WWW.BOVET.COM<br />
AHMED SEDDIQI & SONS, DUBAI I AL MANARA, ABU DHABI I AL AWADI, SULTANATE OF OMAN<br />
ASIA JEWELLERS, BAHRAIN I ATAMIAN, LEBANON I BEHBEHANI, KUWAIT I BLUE SALON, QATAR
WELLNESS<br />
INDULGE YOURSELF<br />
Tried-and-tested experiences of the month<br />
Need to know:<br />
Dhs3,000<br />
per treatment,<br />
inclusive of the touchup.<br />
+971 4 385 4484<br />
The venue: DOLLHOUSE BEAUTY LOUNGE<br />
The service: Micro-blading<br />
The verdict: We know, those words (micro-blading)<br />
may scare some, but trust us, it’s worth it. Especially if<br />
you’re the type that allots minutes doing up eye brows.<br />
The semi-permanent makeup treatment, also known as<br />
eyebrow embroidery, is a manual technique conducted<br />
by using a blade hand-tool to create pigment hair strokes<br />
on the eyebrow. Micro-blading has been on my list for a<br />
while, and I couldn’t pass on the invite to visit the newlyopened<br />
and vibrant Dollhouse Beauty Lounge at The<br />
Dubai Ladies Club.<br />
Before the treatment begins, an aesthetician checks<br />
your medical conditions and allergies. To proceed, a<br />
numbing cream is placed on for 30 minutes, followed by<br />
six measurements of your brow bone - using an eyebrow<br />
measurement ruler. This is to create the perfect shape for<br />
your brows according to your face profile. After<br />
measuring, the aesthetician begins the procedure and you<br />
can literally feel the cuts on your skin, with the slightest of<br />
pain. But it’s all worth it right? The whole process usually<br />
takes between one-a-half-to-two-hours.<br />
Weeks down the line, I’m incredibly pleased with my<br />
results. The aesthetician told me to keep it dry for a week<br />
so the effect lasts long. During the healing process, I<br />
experienced a bit of skin peeling and my brow started to<br />
lighten. Much of it faded in those first six weeks, so I<br />
headed back for a complimentary touchup to achieve a<br />
dark, fuller eyebrow look. We were told the results last a<br />
couple of years, depending on your skin type.<br />
42<br />
EQUITY
WELLNESS<br />
Need to know:<br />
The Shellac manicure is<br />
Dhs150, blow dry from<br />
Dhs200 and facial<br />
from Dhs750.<br />
Contact +971 4 343 7100<br />
The venue: STUDIO 91<br />
The service: Blow dry and Shellac manicure<br />
The verdict: Let’s face it. Today’s women aren’t left with<br />
much me-time. In between work, hopping from meeting to<br />
meeting, travels, events, and catching up with the ladies, we<br />
try to squeeze in spa days and salon appointments. With the<br />
launch of Studio 91 at DIFC, luckily a manicure, quick blow<br />
dry and even an express facial has become incredibly<br />
convenient. We skipped lunch for a date with the manicurist,<br />
and opted in for a Shellac manicure to keep our tips fresh<br />
and polished for two weeks. The process is pretty much<br />
similar to a regular manicure, although the selection of nudes,<br />
pastels and darker tones will leave you in two minds for sure.<br />
Nails were buffed, filed, polished and cleaned - at this stage it<br />
feels best left bare - before polish was applied to the nails,<br />
dried under the UV light machine and re-applied again. The<br />
entire process took less than an hour, with the hair wash and<br />
blow-dry taking place simultaneously.<br />
The wash and blow dry is a whole other ball game here.<br />
Purified water from a vibrant-blue tank is used to wash the hair.<br />
The scalp is scrubbed squeaky clean with shampoo, followed by<br />
a mini head massage and application of conditioner. Locks are<br />
immediately conditioned and ready to be combed through,<br />
thanks to the assistance and glide from the Kerastese serum.<br />
Beach waves are popular any given season, offering the most<br />
natural look for occasions and since I wanted this to last a whole<br />
weekend, I kindly asked for an extra dose of hairspray. I was all<br />
decked up, boosted with caffeine - thanks to the much-needed<br />
Nespresso -and ready to head back to work for a meeting.<br />
If you do have a bit of time on your hands, hop into the<br />
treatment spa (Skin 111) right besides the salon, for a<br />
30-minute hydrafacial where your skin is exfoliated,<br />
vacuumed to suck out gunk from pores, and hydrated with<br />
an antioxidant-packed serum.<br />
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EQUITY
COLLECTOR'S PIECES<br />
ON OUR RADAR<br />
Striking statement pieces<br />
ACCESSORY<br />
Marni<br />
Leather Shoulder Bag<br />
FOR HER<br />
Baby pink never goes out of style. This compact silhouette leather bag is a nod to retro femininity with just enough<br />
space for the essentials, making it the adorable arm candy you will want for a night out. The vibrant resin handle adds a<br />
pop of colour to just about any outfit, and pairs well with a chic pair of earrings for oomph.<br />
DHS8,537 AT THEMODIST.COM<br />
44<br />
EQUITY
COLLECTOR'S PIECES<br />
FOOTWEAR<br />
SWEAR<br />
Customisable Sneakers<br />
"Hey! I put some new shoes on and suddenly everything is right." And it makes<br />
sense, since London-based SWEAR, the customisable luxury sneakers brand<br />
that you probably spotted at Barneys Madison Avenue, 10 Corso Como Milano,<br />
Browns London, or Joyce Hong Kong, has finally launched exclusively with Level<br />
Shoes in Dubai. Born in the Nineties, SWEAR has become a cult-favourite with<br />
sneakerheads, and those looking to express themselves through their accessories<br />
– quite the craze in the UAE at the moment. Options are aplenty with digital<br />
customisation of materials ranging from nappa leather to suede and hairy calf,<br />
and exotic materials comprising crocodile, python and ostrich.<br />
AVAILABLE FROM DHS1,000-35,000 AT LEVEL SHOES<br />
45<br />
EQUITY
COLLECTOR'S PIECES<br />
TIMEPIECE<br />
THE RISING STAR OF<br />
BOVET<br />
A medieval castle in Switzerland and a port city in China played a curious role in<br />
the genesis of 19th-century Swiss watchmaker Bovet that has come a full circle<br />
By Varun Godinho<br />
Watches are glamorous, watchmaking isn’t. If<br />
you need proof, visit Bovet <strong>18</strong>22’s<br />
manufacturing and engraving sites spread across<br />
Tramelan and the Val-de-Travers in the canton<br />
of Neuchatel in Switzerland. Seeing the men<br />
and women sitting hunched over a desk for<br />
hours on end, peering through a loupe and<br />
ensuring their hands are rock steady while<br />
painstakingly assembling hundreds of<br />
components – a few are thinner than the width<br />
of a strand of hair – makes me realise that these<br />
folk haven’t signed up for a cushy 9-5 role.<br />
Theirs is a vocation.<br />
Not long ago, we visited the Bovet’s boutique<br />
and manufacturing sites in Switzerland. For the<br />
last decade or so, the brand has largely flown<br />
under the radar. For the owner, Pascal Raffy, we<br />
suspect it was intentional. Make no mistake.<br />
Bovet is a top-drawer brand that can hold its<br />
own when spoken off in the same breath as<br />
Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe or<br />
Breguet, among others other venerable Swiss<br />
watchmaking houses.<br />
THE ORIGINS<br />
In <strong>18</strong>14, Edouard Bovet, the son of Fleurier<br />
master watchmaker, was sent to London – then<br />
the epicentre of the European watch trade –<br />
along with two of his brothers shortly after he<br />
completed his watch apprenticeship. Back then,<br />
Edouard and his brothers weren’t making their<br />
own watches, but rather sourcing them from<br />
independent artisans in Switzerland and<br />
reselling them. In <strong>18</strong><strong>18</strong>, Edouard decided to vet<br />
the East’s appetite for Swiss watches. Taking<br />
four watches along with him, he sailed from<br />
London to Guangzhou (Canton) where he sold<br />
all four very quickly for 10,000 Swiss francs<br />
(equal to around a million dollars today).<br />
He stayed on in Guangzhou and served as a<br />
watch repairer in the port city. Quickly, he<br />
realised that there was more money to be<br />
made in manufacturing watches rather than just<br />
trading them. That’s how in <strong>18</strong>22, the Bovet<br />
Bovet CEO and owner,<br />
Pascal Raffy<br />
46<br />
EQUITY
COLLECTOR'S PIECES<br />
watch brand was registered in London where Edouard’s<br />
brothers Alphonse and Frederic resided. Edouard<br />
continued to stay in Guangzhou to coordinate the imports<br />
while another brother, Gustave, was their watchmaker<br />
manufacturer based out of Fleurier.<br />
BOVET 2.0<br />
Bovet has two distinctive periods of existence. The first<br />
began in <strong>18</strong>22 and continued into the middle of the 20th<br />
century when the revolution in China took place in 1911<br />
forcing Bovet to downsize its China operations, followed<br />
by the two World Wars and a host of other factors meant<br />
that production ceased in 1960. It wasn’t until 2001 when<br />
Raffy who had already made a fortune from the<br />
pharmaceutical business and was an avid collector himself,<br />
decided to buy the brand and resurrect it.<br />
Raffy spent the next few years building the brand as a true<br />
manufacture that could rely on itself rather than third-party<br />
suppliers for the components it requires to make timepieces.<br />
This included buying the castle in Neuchatel where he set up<br />
an assembly and engraving workshop, as well as the Dimier<br />
1738 Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie Artisanale in<br />
Tramelan that specialised in movement creation and the<br />
Bovet <strong>18</strong>22 Manufacture de Cadrans et de Sertissage in Planles-Ouates<br />
which manufactures hand-crafted dials. The idea of<br />
becoming self-reliant early on is also what allowed Raffy to<br />
keep Bovet independent to this day. To further tap into the<br />
brand’s pedigreed roots, he even renamed it as Bovet <strong>18</strong>22.<br />
THE MANUFACTURE<br />
We visited the Dimier manufacture in Tramelan. It’s here<br />
where a Bovet watch begins life as nothing more than a<br />
few bits of metal in a workshop littered with industrial<br />
tools and machines. We see a “stamping” machine that<br />
presses down with a force of 30 tonnes to create the<br />
base of the movement. Lab coat-suited technicians nearby<br />
peer through Leica laser-guided magnifying machines to<br />
inspect the plate for imperfections.<br />
In a separate room, four people are engrossed in<br />
polishing and engraving the movement – for a complex<br />
engraving procedure, it can take nearly two days to finish<br />
the bridges of the movement alone.<br />
It’s in another room not far away where the most secretive<br />
and perhaps the most important function of Bovet’s watch<br />
manufacturing process takes place. It’s here where hairsprings<br />
The front and caseback of<br />
the Bovet Récital 20 Astérium<br />
– or the beating heart of any movement – are manufactured.<br />
Bovet is one of only a handful of watchmakers in Switzerland<br />
who have the necessary tools and know-how to create this<br />
very intricate component which is the core component of<br />
the balance wheel and varies in length anywhere from<br />
0.6mm to 0.07mm.<br />
In another room, all the different components<br />
manufactured across the facility are brought for the final<br />
assembly. The day we visit, a lady was assembling the<br />
Recital 20 Asterium timepiece, one of Bovet’s finest<br />
tourbillon watches which has a total of 580 components<br />
and costs $350,000. Adjacent is the R&D facility where<br />
finished movements are subjected to strict quality control<br />
checks to ensure that they’re up to spec.<br />
The watchmaking atelier<br />
at Château de Môtiers<br />
The Dimier 1738<br />
Manufacture in Tramelan<br />
47<br />
EQUITY
COLLECTOR'S PIECES<br />
Bovet’s medieval castle,<br />
the Château de Môtiers<br />
THE WATCHES<br />
The day before we visit the Dimier manufacture, we stroll<br />
across the bridge from Hotel Bristol in Geneva and into<br />
the Jardin Anglais garden which is in full bloom. We<br />
continue walking briskly along the promenade of Lake<br />
Geneva until we quickly duck across the road onto Rue<br />
Pierre-Fatio and into Bovet’s flagship boutique. There are<br />
only four Bovet boutiques worldwide: Geneva, Moscow,<br />
Baku and New York City.<br />
Here at the Geneva boutique, we are shown some of the<br />
brand’s most popular timepieces for both men and women<br />
including the Bovet by Pininfarina collection that first debuted<br />
in 2010 to celebrate Pininfarina’s 80th anniversary; the entrylevel<br />
19Thirty collection; and 2015’s $340,000 Recital <strong>18</strong><br />
Shooting Star tourbillon world-timer. We’re also shown the<br />
brand’s signature statement, the Amadeo, whose case is built<br />
in such a way that it can be used as a pocketwatch and a<br />
wristwatch too.<br />
Bovet’s timepieces are typically priced between $20,000<br />
to $65,000. However, the grand complications and oneoff<br />
commissioned watches range from $220,000 to $1<br />
million a pop. The brand makes less than 2,000 watches a<br />
year – spotting one in the wild is difficult.<br />
THE CASTLE<br />
The Count of Neuchatel built the 5,800 square-metre<br />
castle in the 14th century. The Chateau de Môiters,<br />
perched over the village of Môtiers, is where we head to<br />
straight after the Dimier manufacture visit. The Bovet<br />
family acquired the castle in the nineteenth century and<br />
owned it until 1957 when they decided to gift it to the<br />
Canton of Neuchatel. By 2006, it needed urgent repairs<br />
and the state could no longer afford to maintain it. It was<br />
offered for sale, and Raffy decided to buy and renovate it.<br />
Raffy is based in America, and whenever he visits<br />
Switzerland, he stays here at the castle. Some of Bovet’s<br />
sales and logistical operations are managed out of this<br />
location. Also located here is a state-of-the-art<br />
manufacturing facility where some of the brand’s most<br />
exquisite and complex timepieces are engraved.<br />
I try my luck at engraving on a rough piece of metal – and<br />
fail miserably. There is just one school of engraving in<br />
Switzerland and only three students graduate each year. I’m<br />
only too happy to get up from my seat and allow the<br />
exceptionally talented engraver whose desk is flooded with<br />
natural light from the window that opens out into the valley<br />
below to resume his work as he sets about engraving a<br />
solid gold plate with artful, effortless strokes of his wrist.<br />
THE RETURN TO CHINA?<br />
Bovet doesn’t have any boutique in China (although it does<br />
have points of sale in the country). Returning triumphantly to<br />
China with Bovet’s own boutique is on the agenda for Raffy.<br />
In many ways, it would mean a homecoming for Edouard<br />
Bovet himself. Doing so would mean that Raffy hasn’t only<br />
resurrected Bovet, but instead, he’s also reconnected it with<br />
its core. We’ll raise a glass to a brand that’s still hasn’t lost<br />
sight of what made it great nearly two centuries ago.<br />
The Bovet Braveheart<br />
grand complication can be<br />
used as a pocketwatch as<br />
well as a wristwatch<br />
48<br />
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COLLECTOR'S PIECES<br />
GADGETS<br />
McIntosh<br />
XRT2.1K LOUDSPEAKER<br />
Boutique American high-end electronic manufacturer McIntosh is at it again. A<br />
few months ago they debuted the excellent MA9000 integrated amplifier. Last<br />
month, they unveiled their latest creation, the seven-foot-tall lithe floorstanding<br />
speakers called the XRT2.1K that they claims were 45 years in the<br />
making. The speakers have a four-way design and are fitted with 81<br />
Nanocarbon Fibre/Nomex Honeycomb drivers. There are six eight-inch longthrow<br />
woofers, two 6.5-inch low-frequency midrange drivers, 28 two-inch<br />
midrange dome drivers and 45 0.75-inch dome tweeters. Collectively, these<br />
speakers can handle up to 2,000 watts of power, generating enough sound to<br />
keep the neighbours awake. Or frighten unsuspecting pets too.<br />
$130,000 (DHS478,000) FOR A PAIR AT MCINTOSHLABS.COM<br />
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COLLECTOR'S PIECES<br />
Samsung<br />
POWERBOT STAR WARS LIMITED EDITION<br />
DARTH VADER VACUUM<br />
With last month’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi release, the<br />
mania surrounding one of the most successful film<br />
franchises ever created extends to its paraphernalia too.<br />
Cross over to the dark side with this Darth Vader vacuum.<br />
It’s a nifty gadget with Wi-Fi connectivity that allows you<br />
to control it using use your smartphone or by using voice<br />
control via Alexa. It also has an inbuilt mapping software<br />
that couples with nine sensors on the vacuum to help<br />
create a cleaning path for it that avoids obstacles and<br />
furniture in the room. Intermittently, it’ll also make creepy<br />
the creepy breathing noise that’s a signature of Darth<br />
Vader. If you want to be one of the good guys instead,<br />
Samsung also has a Stormtrooper vacuum.<br />
$600 (DHS2,200) AT SAMSUNG.COM<br />
Xbox<br />
ONE X<br />
With Microsoft and Sony constantly duking it<br />
out for alpha position in the in the gaming<br />
universe, Microsoft seems to have finally<br />
delivered a body blow with this one. The<br />
4k-capable Xbox One X is being positioned as the<br />
world’s most powerful gaming console. It has a jaw-slacking<br />
6 teraflops of raw power (nerd alert: that’s six trillion floating<br />
points of operations per second), 12GB of RAM and a 1TB hard<br />
drive that doesn’t lead us to believe otherwise. The only question<br />
here is: Have you loaded Assassin’s Creed: Origins, already?<br />
DHS1,200 AT XBOX.COM<br />
Hermés<br />
FOOSBALL TABLE<br />
If you’ve already got the Birkin, we trust you’re a dyed in<br />
the wool fan of the brand. Fancy a piece of the French<br />
luxury brand as a permanent fixture in your living room?<br />
We suggest you order this Hermés foosball table. The<br />
materials, expectedly, are extremely high quality. Think<br />
maple wood, swift calfskin and players dressed in silk Jockey<br />
jerseys and riding boots that are a nod to the brand’s<br />
equestrian heritage. This foosball table has handcrafted<br />
upholstery and saddle stitching too. In the centre of the<br />
table is the number 24, a reference to the brand’s iconic 24<br />
Faubourg Saint-Honoré HQ in Paris.<br />
$68,300 (DHS250,000) AT HERMES.COM<br />
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THE ETERNAL MOVEMENT<br />
Ulysse Nardin, from the movement of the sea to the perpetual<br />
innovation of Haute Horlogerie. For over 170 years, the<br />
powerful movement of the ocean has inspired Ulysse Nardin<br />
in its singular quest: to push back the limits of mechanical<br />
watchmaking, time and time again.<br />
Marine Regatta<br />
Chronograph<br />
Countdown timer<br />
Silicium technology<br />
ulysse-nardin.com<br />
ULYSSE NARDIN BOUTIQUES: The Dubai Mall +971 44341421, Mall of the Emirates +971 43950577, Beirut Souks +961 1992092<br />
Abu Dhabi: Al Manara International Jewellery Amman: Time Center Bahrain: Asia Jewellers Cairo: BTC Exclusive Doha: Ali Bin Ali<br />
Jeddah: First Jewelry Kuwait: Morad Yousuf Behbehani Muscat: Le Carat Riyadh: First Jewelry<br />
51<br />
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COLLECTOR'S PIECES<br />
AUTOMOBILE<br />
IMMORTAL<br />
Examining the all-new McLaren Senna, the most extreme car ever made by the<br />
British marque, in the words of the legendary F1 driver Ayrton Senna<br />
By Varun Godinho<br />
The straight-talking, smoothdriving<br />
Brazilian F1 superstar<br />
is widely considered as one<br />
of the best the sport has<br />
ever seen. During the late eighties and<br />
early nineties when Ayrton Senna was<br />
at his peak, it was in a McLaren that he<br />
won three world championships and<br />
became the near-mythical hero that he<br />
is today. Now, McLaren has unveiled a<br />
supercar named after him. What would<br />
Senna make of it if he were<br />
he alive today? We examine the<br />
supercar through some of the most<br />
famous quotes of the star driver.<br />
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COLLECTOR'S PIECES<br />
“Being second is to be the f irst of the ones who lose”<br />
Believe these words for Senna ended up on the podium in<br />
80 of the 162 F1 races he participated in during his career.<br />
The McLaren named after him goes after the jugular as well.<br />
It is part of the Ultimate Series, the first of which was the P1<br />
followed by the GTR version of the P1 and now this. Bruno<br />
Senna, Ayrton’s nephew, was reportedly roped into the<br />
development of the car. The supreme confidence of<br />
McLaren loyalists is such that even while the Senna was still<br />
under development, months before anyone saw what the<br />
car would look like, all 500 units of this limited-edition car<br />
were already sold. With McLaren, seldom are there any<br />
doubting Thomases.<br />
“Fear is exciting”<br />
If there is ever a machine purpose-built to instil unholy<br />
amounts of fear into you, this is it. The 4-litre V8 engine that<br />
sits between the two carbon fibre seats produces 800Nm of<br />
torque and 789hp of power. Not a lot of horses, you might<br />
add. And you’re right. But remember that by stripping away<br />
even basic creature comforts like air-conditioning, McLaren<br />
has effectively reduced the weight of the supercar to measly<br />
1,198kgs. We’re now looking at a similar power-to-weight<br />
ratio as the LaFerrari.<br />
“Racing, competing, it's in my blood. I have been<br />
doing it all my life.”<br />
What is true about Senna’s life, is true about McLaren’s as<br />
well. It was a brand that was born on the track. Bruce<br />
McLaren built and raced his first McLaren F1 at the 1965<br />
Monaco Grand Prix. Since then, the marque has been one of<br />
Formula One’s most successful teams. In 1988, with Ron<br />
Dennis at the helm, McLaren embarked on a project to build<br />
its maiden road-legal supercar. By 1993, it debuted a car that<br />
was officially homogenized for the street called it F1 in a nod<br />
to its racing heritage. Since then, there’s been no looking<br />
back for McLaren Automotive. This Senna, like all the<br />
previous McLaren road cars, takes the best technology from<br />
Formula One and trickles it down to its supercars.<br />
“If you no longer go for a gap that exist, you are<br />
no longer a racing driver.”<br />
McLaren is billing their latest wunderkind as “the ultimate<br />
road-legal track car”. To make the Senna a proper racing<br />
car, McLaren has innovated. They’ve kitted it with bespoke<br />
Pirelli P Zero center-locking lightweight wheels that can<br />
blitz a track and have also added a new generation of<br />
smaller and lighter carbon ceramic brake discs which are<br />
believed to be four times more thermally efficient than<br />
conventional carbon discs. A shout-out to the aerodynamics<br />
of the car too which is what makes this machine possibly<br />
faster around a track than the P1.<br />
Step into a Senna and you’ll notice that to recreate a<br />
“cockpit”, the Start button is located on the roof as are the<br />
buttons to release the top-hinged doors. Switch the car into<br />
“race mode” and the chassis drops nearly two inches<br />
resulting in a machine that hunkers down with sinister<br />
purpose. The movable flaps inside the air intakes on both<br />
sides of the front bumper will increase or decrease grip, as<br />
the need arises, to keep it balanced. The large rear spoiler is<br />
nearly four feet off the ground and creates the necessary<br />
downforce keep the supercar from lifting off.<br />
“I have no idols”<br />
If only Senna were alive to see the McLaren named after him,<br />
he might have changed his mind after all.<br />
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GASTRONOMY<br />
WEEKEND DINING<br />
An experience, brunches and a nocturnal hotspot you can’t miss this month<br />
Intimate brunch<br />
1 THE PERUVIAN EXPEDITION<br />
LIMA DUBAI<br />
Binge-watching Chef’s Table, admiring chef Virgilio Martínez<br />
Véliz’s passion for food and produce, and discovering Peru’s<br />
cultivation of over 3,000 varieties of potatoes, made Lima<br />
Dubai a winner on our list already. My dining partner had<br />
dined here previously and highly commended the ceviche<br />
and corn cakes that he could never really get out of his mind,<br />
and was eager to relish once again. Luckily, it was included<br />
within the five-course menu.<br />
Peruvian food isn’t just about flavours, but textures too,<br />
with a heavy emphasis on local produce. Our brunch began<br />
with cushion-like bao buns filled with tender duck slices,<br />
shredded beef and pickles with a mild spiced rocoto sauce.<br />
The seabass ceviche was soon presented with crisp red<br />
onions, cancha corn for a crunchy bite and traditional tiger’s<br />
milk for sweetness. The ceviche salmon showcased chunky<br />
cubes with yellow tiger milk, beetroot and asparagus tempura,<br />
to balance out the flavours. A striking blue plate sat before<br />
our eyes, and on it, a traditional chicken causa featuring tangy<br />
yellow potato, shredded chicken breast and Peruvian olive<br />
that was pureed and drizzled over the contents of the plate in<br />
a bright purple hue. Up next was one of my favourite dishes,<br />
a snack I need to recreate at home and savour while watching<br />
TV, the tequenos (lomo saltado with huancaina and andes<br />
leaf chilli). These crisp finger-sized rolls are crunchy and crispy<br />
on the outside, with the delectable sauce-packed filling of<br />
meat and veggies dripping out upon every bite. Prawns<br />
anticucho was the next beautifully-plated dish presented,<br />
highlighting the renowned traditional Inka Panka chilli. Each<br />
piece of prawn was incredibly luscious and flavoursome. To<br />
tie this course together, a Chinese style rice with oyster<br />
mushrooms, spring onion and asparagus and broccoli was<br />
served - much-needed carbs with a bit of greens.<br />
For mains, my dining partner picked the generously portioned,<br />
fleshy and spiced chicken breast pachamanca with sautéed<br />
potatoes, corn brûlée (the dense, moist corn cake he praised on<br />
several occasions), while I opted for the slow cooked lamb seco<br />
with pumpkin done two ways (puréed for the base and a crisp<br />
garnish) topped with a citrus coriander marinade and kiwicha<br />
(also known as amaranth), a superfood seed. A side of colourful<br />
Andean potatoes that were sweet, boiled, crisp and fried were<br />
presented to us on the side as well. We ended up sharing both<br />
mains and unfortunately couldn’t get through all of it, as the<br />
portions were quite enormous. Remember dessert is an integral<br />
part of brunch, and if you do have space to squeeze in a few<br />
bites – we tried our best – it’s worth tucking into the purple corn<br />
jelly-textured mousse with cream, ice lollies and crème brûlée.<br />
Need to know:<br />
Fridays from 12-4pm.<br />
From Dhs325-550 per person. Contact 800 5462<br />
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GASTRONOMY<br />
Family friendly<br />
2<br />
SATURDAY BBQ BRUNCH<br />
AMALFI, PALAZZO VERSACE<br />
A relaxed Saturday by the pool with grills to sate hunger<br />
pangs is our idea of a perfect weekend, and exactly what the<br />
doctor ordered. Well, maybe not, but if he/she thought like<br />
us, in terms of wellbeing and happiness, it would be up there<br />
on the list. Palazzo Versace’s chilled out Saturday brunch<br />
takes place at the café by the pool. You can choose to plonk<br />
yourself on a cabana and soak up the rays, or head straight for<br />
an alfresco lunch – it’s completely up to you. We chose the<br />
former, sipped a few cocktails and made use of the expansive<br />
pool that rivals most hotels in the city. As the afternoon went<br />
by, we headed to a table to feast on the selection of fresh<br />
salads placed before us, including a Greek salad with feta and<br />
refreshing watermelon with baby squid. Cravings for hot<br />
substantial food followed, and we opted for succulent flamegrilled<br />
lamb chops and tender chicken with a side of corn<br />
from the buffet. I love a great pizza, and will never turn down<br />
one. The wood-fired pizzas here are crisp with a thin crust,<br />
and gooey cheese that perfectly blends in with the tomato<br />
sauce. We also chose to tuck into fresh juicy lobster and<br />
prawns, instead of the Wagyu beef burgers that looked<br />
incredibly tempting. Naturally, we saved space for dessert –<br />
sweet popcorn ice cream and hot churros with chocolate<br />
and dulce de leche dips. The DJs tunes had us captivated by<br />
this point, making us look forward to an afternoon laze<br />
around session at the pool cabana, with electro and salsa<br />
beats in the background.<br />
3<br />
MISS TESS<br />
TAJ DUBAI, DUBAI MALL STREET<br />
Located on the third floor of the Taj Hotel, we recently<br />
visited the eponymous restaurant. There’s a psychedelic<br />
pop of colour in the décor of this Asian street-food themed<br />
restaurant. A few diners make their way to the al fresco<br />
section with a commanding view of the Burj Khalifa outside.<br />
We prefer to sit inside, not far away from a full-sized tuk tuk<br />
(an autorickshaw) placed in the centre of the room and not<br />
far from the DJ and a few video game machines further on.<br />
The pan-Asian menu covers Thai, Korean, Chinese,<br />
Japanese and Vietnamese food. We get started with the<br />
Miss Tess selection platter. There are generous portions<br />
of fish cake, prawn tempura, and chicken spring rolls. We<br />
asked the team to replace fried tofu with calamari instead<br />
and they were only too happy to oblige. There’s Sriracha<br />
kept on your table, just in case you need to fire up any of<br />
the entrées. Just as we begin to go through our Tom Kha<br />
Khai soup with galangal evenly balancing the coconut and<br />
the crowd-favourite chicken wonton soup, Miss Tess<br />
herself comes up to chat with us regarding her new<br />
concept. Midway through our conversation, two of her<br />
team members break out into a well-rehearsed streetfight<br />
style routine that reoccurs every half hour.<br />
When it comes to mains, we’d highly recommend the<br />
bibimbap from South Korea. It arrives at our table in a hot<br />
stone bowl filled with rice, beef, kimchi and julienne strips<br />
of assorted vegetables all of which is capped by a sunny<br />
side up egg that invites you to create a mess as you<br />
furiously work at mixing all the components together<br />
before tucking in. If you’ve got space for dessert, the<br />
matcha green tea mousse must be on your radar. Then go<br />
and try your hand at Super Mario video games.<br />
Nocturnal hotspot<br />
Need to know: Saturdays from 12-5pm.<br />
Dhs295 per person inclusive of food and pool access.<br />
Contact +9714 556 8888<br />
Need to know:<br />
The restaurant is open for dinner.<br />
Contact +971 4 275 9056<br />
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GASTRONOMY<br />
An experience<br />
4<br />
NOIRE<br />
FAIRMONT DUBAI<br />
Are you afraid of the dark? Those with scotophobia may find Noire a bit<br />
unnerving. My dining partner and I, on the other hand, found it to be one of the<br />
most amazing dining experiences we’ve come across in Dubai and have been<br />
recommending it to friends and family ever since. Here’s why. You arrive at the<br />
pool bar where you are served a cocktail and are immediately put to the test to<br />
detect the ingredients. We scored 100/100, but can’t say the same for the<br />
three-course meal that followed.<br />
The experience begins with the night vision goggle-equipped staff escorting<br />
each couple into the pitch-black setting. It is incredibly dark once you get in, and<br />
my dining partner and I admitted to never being in such a dark setting before.<br />
Your eyes take a few minutes to adjust to the setting and the team are kind<br />
enough to indicate where your glasses and the bread plate is for you to get an<br />
idea of placement. First off, I’m glad I didn’t spill any food or beverage on myself<br />
or my dining partner’s white shirt – which by the way, is a terrible colour choice<br />
for this occasion. The one-and-a-half-hour long meal began with an appetizer<br />
that tasted like some sort of fish with carrot and crumble – we later found out<br />
it was tuna with apple cubes, spiced carrot puree, and tempura crumble. The<br />
guessing game is not only interesting but hilarious too. You get to hear every<br />
individuals’ opinions as they guess flavours - sounding similar to a professional<br />
taste tester - only to discover later that their dream to make this a day job is<br />
doomed, for now at least. Wine is served with each course, and somehow, we<br />
guessed all three correct.<br />
The main course was incredibly delightful, confusing our senses as we tried<br />
to pick, feel and smell each little drop and pieces we picked up from our plates.<br />
The textures were similar to meat, with flavours showcasing mushrooms – got<br />
this correct – some sort of fried garnish, droplets of sauce, and greens. The dish<br />
was revealed later and we got almost 50 per cent correct. To put it simply,<br />
even though our assumptions were poles apart, the dessert was a mixture of<br />
sponge texture, ice cream, matcha, sesame seeds and crumble. Note, we didn’t<br />
disclose the complete ingredient list, as it is worth the sensory journey you will<br />
embark on. The big reveal takes place outdoors after the meal, where you<br />
giggle and quite proudly confirm the ones you got right. The presentation was<br />
perhaps what appealed to me the most, and admittedly, does play an integral<br />
role in a dish. Everything was beautifully plated and I could only imagine the<br />
mess we may have all made, jumbling everything while testing. One thing is for<br />
sure, we didn’t miss snapping shots for Instagram and got to enjoy an exquisite<br />
intimate meal with chatter and laughs throughout.<br />
Need to know:<br />
Dhs325 per person with pairings.<br />
Contact +971 4 311 8316<br />
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T he e s s e n c e o f A r a b i a<br />
Bab Al Qasr Hotel<br />
57<br />
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TRAVEL<br />
ALPINE<br />
LIVING<br />
Staying at a penthouse in a residential complex might not seem like a typical<br />
holiday for some. Six Senses Residences Courchevel, however, is guaranteed<br />
to be the reason you change your perception, and perhaps even invest in one.<br />
Besides, it’s at the heart of Courchevel <strong>18</strong>50 – a ski playground to the elite<br />
By Nicola Monteath<br />
IMAGES SUPPLIED BY SIX SENSES RESIDENCES COURCHEVEL<br />
58<br />
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TRAVEL<br />
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TRAVEL<br />
Driving into Courchevel is magical. Soft powdery<br />
snow enhances every solid surface, from cars to<br />
rooftops, making the picturesque cluster of<br />
villages – lit up with fairy lights – a ski resort<br />
village comparable to none other. Courchevel attracts a<br />
trendsetting affluent clientele, and comprises four<br />
distinctive towns - Courchevel <strong>18</strong>50, Courchevel 1650,<br />
Courchevel 1550 and Courchevel 1300, each signifying the<br />
altitude it is located at, in metres. The four are linked by<br />
lifts, pistes and a windy path, taking you all the way to the<br />
top to the chic Courchevel <strong>18</strong>50 - our destination and<br />
home to the fairly new Six Senses Residences Courchevel.<br />
Courchevel <strong>18</strong>50 is where you will want to stay, shop and<br />
dine. Streets are lined with fur-clad women carrying Birkins<br />
and a teacup puppy in hand, cafés serving a generous glug of<br />
vin chaud, French eateries worth a stop for fondue, and<br />
luxury fashion boutiques boasting the latest collections, and<br />
classic pieces that sell like hot cakes. I visited Louis Vuitton to<br />
check if a certain bag was in stock, and returned hours later<br />
to purchase it, only to find out they sold all three pieces –<br />
make sure you reserve your selection. There’s never a boring<br />
moment in Courchevel <strong>18</strong>50. When you aren’t skiing, or<br />
treating yourself to spa treatments, you may just rub<br />
shoulders with footballers, artists and the top one per cent<br />
of the world, as it is the lavish ski destination to flock to come<br />
season time.<br />
A HOME AWAY FROM HOME<br />
Staying at Six Senses Residences Courchevel is a warm and<br />
cosy chalet experience that will enrich your ski holiday. I set<br />
foot into my three-bedroom apartment decked with a clean<br />
look of timber, subtle lighting, and pine aromas that wafted<br />
through the air. Each day began with a view of the sunrise,<br />
Nespresso and Sinatra, courtesy of the friendly smart home<br />
automation system in every room. I usually judge my stay by<br />
the appearance and amenities in the bathroom, and here, it<br />
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didn’t disappoint. Showers are fitted with three types of<br />
options (including rain-showers), while The Organic<br />
Pharmacy products keep skin soft, supple and moisturised,<br />
prepped for the weather conditions at the slopes.<br />
The European-style property is the first residential project<br />
in the continent from Six Senses, nestled at the heart of the<br />
crème de la crème of the French Alps, between Rue de<br />
Tovets and Rue de Verdons. The project is a joint venture<br />
between Cain International and Promocour <strong>18</strong>50 and has<br />
been developed in partnership with Six Senses.<br />
The finest of freehold apartments merges with the luxuries<br />
of hotel and concierge services here. Residents can park at a<br />
private garage, stow away luggage and purchases at storage<br />
caves, and beat the hassle of lugging around ski equipment –<br />
visit the shop located within the premises to get fitted out<br />
with boots and Lacroix skis, amongst other brands. Services<br />
such as the ski concierge at the slopes, where your gear is<br />
transported to from the in-house ski shop, is what truly sets<br />
this residential property apart.<br />
53 penthouses and apartments, designed by the architect<br />
Alain Foeillet, showcase a neutral complementing palette of<br />
taupe, beige, tan and grey hues, alongside organic materials<br />
and a whole lot of timber, blending in with the alpine<br />
aesthetic. The units, ranging from 70 to 268 square metres,<br />
are available from two-bedroom apartments, to duplex<br />
penthouses that feature five bedrooms, a wine cellar,<br />
hammam, a terrace boasting mountain views, fireplace, and<br />
art work that lends an element of sophisticated quirkiness.<br />
Residents have the option of choosing furniture packages<br />
carefully curated by the award-winning Morpheus London.<br />
Before heading off to the slopes, visit the relaxed and<br />
warm Club lounge for a substantial breakfast brimming<br />
with local cheese, freshly baked pastries, detoxifying and<br />
revitalising smoothies, and a nutrient-packed menu free<br />
from gluten and dairy – the smashed avocado with<br />
poached eggs became a daily favourite. When you are<br />
back from the slopes, head straight for the private on-site<br />
spa to beat lethargy with holistic spa treatments and<br />
restorative therapies. Other features at the spa include a<br />
sauna and steam room, relaxation lounges by the pool, a<br />
fitness studio, and an outdoor hot tub surrounded by<br />
snow - worth a try.<br />
The spa and swimming pool at<br />
Six Senses Residences Courchevel<br />
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EQUITY
TRAVEL<br />
The inviting Club Lounge at<br />
Six Senses Residences Courchevel<br />
While some may be worried about<br />
the returns on their investment off<br />
season time, it's worth noting that<br />
Courchevel now offers a range of<br />
summer activities, so you can enjoy a<br />
stay during winter and rent it out during<br />
summer, if you wish to.<br />
DINE AT...<br />
Leave the slopes to experience<br />
Courchevel <strong>18</strong>50 at its best. These<br />
hotspots are a shuttle or ten-minute<br />
walk away from Six Senses<br />
Residences Courchevel<br />
LE CHALET DE PIERRES<br />
The sight of Chef Gerber Alvim<br />
roasting meat on the spit meets the<br />
eye as you enter this traditional<br />
Alpine restaurant on the Verdons<br />
slope. You can ski in, take a seat at<br />
the heated terrace and enjoy an<br />
alfresco lunch of hearty French onion<br />
soup, cheese fondue and fresh<br />
seafood or meat (order ahead).<br />
Don’t miss the dessert table featuring<br />
pistachio-cream filled profiteroles<br />
and a divine lemon curd tart.<br />
chaletdepierres.com<br />
LE GENÉPI<br />
When a restaurant is headed by<br />
natives from the village, you know<br />
you are in for a great meal. This<br />
fireplace-fitted all-wood interior<br />
restaurant by chef and owner Thierry<br />
Mugnier and his wife Cecile is apt for<br />
an elegant fine-dining experience.<br />
Fresh local char tartare with blini and<br />
whipped cream and a side of oysters<br />
are highly recommended as an<br />
appetizer. Follow this with beef fillet<br />
Rossini; a succulent generous portion<br />
douse in a beautiful reduction,<br />
topped with a slice of foie gras and<br />
perfectly paired with warm pillowtextured<br />
bursts of gnocchi. And to<br />
end, the comforting hot baked pippin<br />
apple and silky salted caramel ice<br />
cream are worth trying, guaranteed<br />
to be polished off within minutes.<br />
legenepi-courchevel.com<br />
Need to know:<br />
• Prices for apartments at Six Senses<br />
Residences Courchevel, range from €1.5m<br />
(Dhs 6,629,491) to €8.8m (Dhs38million).<br />
Buyers have the option of renting out their<br />
apartment when not in use.<br />
Visit one-courchevel.com<br />
to invest in your ski home.<br />
• Those in need of ski lessons can make a<br />
request with the concierge at the residences.<br />
I took my first lesson on the slopes and<br />
highly recommend the patient Olivier<br />
Sadargues or Nicolas Germain at Le Cercle<br />
Private Ski School. Visit lecercle-ski.com<br />
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EQUITY
JETSETTER JOURNEYS<br />
The latest in experiences, tours and wellbeing breaks<br />
MYSTICAL ASIA<br />
There isn’t a time of year when Japan isn’t appealing.<br />
This winter, Niseko Village comes to life with<br />
boutiques that beckon, renowned restaurants and<br />
five-star hotels. If you’re travelling for a culinary<br />
experience, warming ramen and udon, fresh<br />
sashimi, and Hokkaido seafood and yakitori will<br />
satiate all cravings. Those who love a warm soak at<br />
the end of the day can dip into their own private<br />
onsen fed by geothermal waters, to reap the<br />
benefits. And those who love the outdoors and<br />
nature can enjoy skiing at it’s best, at the Mizuno no<br />
Sawa, offering the steepest runs and a track for<br />
novices. A stay at the Kasara Niseko Village<br />
Townhouse is a must, boasting Japanese charm,<br />
and a resident concierge, for reservations and to<br />
make fresh tracks for a guided mountain orientation.<br />
Visit ytlhotels.com for more information<br />
SOULFUL ESCAPE<br />
Re-boot your body, mind and soul with a<br />
yoga retreat at Rudding Park in partnership<br />
with Lara Darby. Escape to the country<br />
where you will learn to de-stress through<br />
a combination of yoga practices and<br />
meditation sessions, including a gong bath<br />
sound therapy workshop. The weekend<br />
will also include a nutrition workshop,<br />
spa-treatments and wholesome cuisine to<br />
leave you recharged for the year ahead.<br />
The Luxury yoga and de-stress weekend<br />
takes place from <strong>Jan</strong>uary 12-14,<br />
and is Dhs2,960 per person, inclusive<br />
of a two-night stay at Rudding Park,<br />
breakfast, the yoga retreat package<br />
and workshops.<br />
Visit ruddingpark.co.uk<br />
IT’S HERE!<br />
By now you may have heard that the UAE’s most expensive hotel<br />
has opened its doors at the seahorse-shaped Jumeirah Bay island.<br />
The highly-anticipated Bulgari Resort & Residences Dubai, in<br />
collaboration with Meraas, is an urban oasis offering the ultimate in<br />
luxury for those who want to sail up to their resort, or treat<br />
themselves to a staycation. Guests can choose to stay at one of the<br />
101 suites that boast gorgeous views of the shimmering waters, as<br />
well as a plush Bulgari throw on each bed, to cosy up in comfort.<br />
Attention to detail is key, with everything from Dhs2,000+ noisecancellation<br />
headsets to shoe-fitting collaborations with Berlutti, a<br />
beach bag, and plenty of other gorgeous necessities. The 20 villas<br />
boast a sizeable private pool on the terrace – large enough for an<br />
intimate gathering – a leather couch to rival most home options,<br />
dining table fit for a feast, and a walk-in closet. Gastronomic offerings<br />
feature the sun-soaked all-day dining Italian café, and Il Ristorante by<br />
renowned chef Niko Romito. Can’t squeeze in a stay at the resort<br />
anytime soon? A trip to the Spa for a hammam treatment and La<br />
Mer facial, followed by a few laps at the indoor pool, will allow you<br />
to experience the resort’s hospitality and Italian luxury at its best.<br />
bulgarihotels.com<br />
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THE FAIRWAY<br />
HIT the<br />
LINKS<br />
Fore…breathtaking<br />
views<br />
and challenges that distract,<br />
that’s what the Dubai Creek<br />
Golf & Yacht Club is all about<br />
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EQUITY
THE FAIRWAY<br />
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club with its<br />
majestic clubhouse, where the design<br />
mirrors the sails of the traditional<br />
Arab dhow, has been one of the most<br />
photographed landmarks in the UAE since it<br />
opened in 1993.<br />
The course is always impeccable and it’s no<br />
wonder either. Many staff members from the<br />
heads groundkeeper and other members engaged<br />
in the upkeep have been with the Club from day<br />
one. Upon entering the clubhouse to the first tee,<br />
every player is greeted and treated as though they<br />
were on the professional tour.<br />
Dubai Creek is shorter than the city’s more<br />
modern courses, but very challenging due to the<br />
abundance of water hazards. In fact, 10 out of the<br />
<strong>18</strong> holes on the course are directly affected by<br />
water hazards in some capacity. Accuracy is<br />
rewarded over length here, besides the water and<br />
the tree-lined fairways, don’t get excited and try<br />
to crush your drivers when seeing the yardages,<br />
the wind is a major factor and stunts your length,<br />
accuracy and thinking.<br />
At par 71, Dubai Creek has a varied collection<br />
of holes each majestically set against the backdrop<br />
of the creek and the developments being built.<br />
The views, feel and experience on this course are<br />
breathtaking. The pinnacle is when you reach the<br />
stunning sixth tee. Built on to a jetty that stands<br />
above the waters of the Creek, there is water left<br />
here as well, and the smart play is to lay up short<br />
of this and hit a longer shot in. Good luck trying to<br />
hit your tee shot whilst taking in the sites and<br />
experience of teeing off while literally standing in<br />
the middle of the creek.<br />
As mentioned, the course has been around<br />
for some time, where the course record of 63<br />
held jointly by Lee Westwood and Darren<br />
Clarke seems like a score only achieved by the<br />
golfing gods.<br />
Thomas Bjorn’s redesigned the course and all<br />
credit to him especially with the finishing two<br />
holes, 17 and <strong>18</strong>. Both these holes are played<br />
directly along the bank of the creek, towards the<br />
clubhouse. Dangerous holes that have the smile,<br />
charm and allure of an assassin. Overcoming the<br />
challenges of the 17th can still be achieved with<br />
some smart play. The <strong>18</strong>th requires thought,<br />
execution and confidence involvement on every<br />
shot. There is water on the left and a long bunker<br />
on the right, beyond which is water again. A good<br />
drive will still leave you with a long iron into the<br />
tiered and sloping green, which is guarded at the<br />
front and right by a body of water.<br />
Even the professionals have sweaty hands while<br />
executing the final tee shot, but there’s no better<br />
way to finish a round here than with two wellstruck<br />
shots to the heart of the green.<br />
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club offer more<br />
than just golf – they have fantastic restaurants with<br />
facilities to host everything from a wedding to a<br />
major corporate function. The views, staff and<br />
facilities on hand are second to none. Whilst you<br />
are out on the course, battling the elements, the<br />
family can enjoy the pool, gym, par 3 golf and<br />
outside activities that would keep the most<br />
energetic families entertained without missing<br />
you. To ensure that you have your place secured<br />
in Dubai Creek, securing your own personalized<br />
locker only costs Dhs550 per annum and that is<br />
the just the start of true value for money in this<br />
club from the practice range, academy, restaurants<br />
and fully stocked stores on site. Every day seems<br />
like you are winning without even teeing off.<br />
For rates, booking and further information visit<br />
dubaigolf.com/dubai-creek-golf-yacht-club<br />
65<br />
EQUITY
HOTEL REVIEW<br />
STAY<br />
OF THE<br />
MONTH<br />
Escape the emirates for a nature and<br />
wildlife island-getaway at Al Sahel,<br />
Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Resorts<br />
By Nicola Monteath<br />
Driving towards Sir Bani Yas Island, practically near<br />
Ruwais, is far - it takes around three-hours-andthirty<br />
minutes to get to the jetty lounge (from<br />
Dubai) and a 20-minute boat ride thereafter.<br />
But that’s the beauty of this retreat. You leave behind the<br />
stress and humdrum of the city and escape to an island<br />
established in 1977 by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al<br />
Nahyan. The wildlife reserve spans over 87 square kilometres<br />
and is home to gazelles, peacocks and other beautiful animals<br />
you will hardly ever spot in the country – unless at a zoo, of<br />
course. The resort is split into three spectacular experiences<br />
to suit couples and families. We stayed at Al Sahel Villa<br />
Resort where free-roaming peacocks and gazelles visited us<br />
in the backyard of our rustic-style one bedroom pool villa<br />
ever so often. The villa boasts all the modern-day facilities<br />
and items you require, from great WiFi coverage, to a yoga<br />
mat, bird food, Nespresso coffee machine and hairbands, for<br />
women like me who can never figure out where they<br />
disappear off too. The interiors comprise an Arabesque vibe<br />
with wooden beams, Rattan ceiling fans, framed local<br />
handicrafts and a stunning carved bronze standalone tub<br />
with Elemis toiletries. We spent most of our time at the<br />
plunge pool, listening to birds chirping, and admiring peacock<br />
feathers and gazelles as they graze.<br />
EXPLORE<br />
The resorts offer plenty of activities for adults and<br />
children. Try archery, kayaking, play a game of tennis, visit<br />
the library, go snorkeling or mountain biking and explore<br />
the island with a culture and history tour. We opted for<br />
the Nature and Wildlife drive for a one-of-a-kind<br />
experience that felt similar to an African safari. Hop into a<br />
Discovery and embark on an hour and a half journey of<br />
the savannah, to spot one of the world’s most endangered<br />
Oryx species, Arabian Oryx, ostriches, geese, cheetahs,<br />
giraffes and plenty of animals in their natural habitat.<br />
The wildlife sanctuary tour is highly recommended<br />
and includes stops at each site for photo ops – children<br />
will love it.<br />
DINING OPTIONS<br />
The island offers culinary offerings to sate all cravings. Pick<br />
from African barbecue and Arabic fare, to International<br />
and Middle Eastern specialties, or Italian. We couldn’t<br />
make up our minds until the hunger pangs kicked in, and<br />
chose the latter for a hearty rustic lunch. Fresh cherry<br />
tomato bread was dunked into olive oil and balsamic as<br />
we waited for our ravioli filled with ricotta cheese, topped<br />
with creamy taleggio and pecan nuts to offset the dairy<br />
and add a little crunch. For mains, I dove into an incredibly<br />
generous portion of six juicy mint-crusted lamb chops<br />
with mashed baby potatoes, asparagus, and fragments of<br />
garlic and rosemary. My partner opted for the beef<br />
tenderloin with a side of creamy polenta and truffle to<br />
complement each bite, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction<br />
for acidity. Both dishes comprised of succulent premium<br />
quality meat. We shared a traditional coffee-soaked<br />
tiramisu to end the meal and retreat to our rooms for a<br />
long-walk and siesta.<br />
Seafood-lovers can make a trip to Amwaj for dinner, to<br />
devour crunchy and meaty soft-shell crab, and nourishing<br />
shrimp and scallop laksa, while dining al fresco. Choose<br />
from crustacean or fish – we had a fresh and plump<br />
seabass – served grilled or baked with just the right<br />
portion of spinach and ceps, comforting mashed potatoes<br />
with black truffle oil and grilled Mediterranean vegetables,<br />
our chosen sides. A sublime lemon tart with a cup of tea<br />
is the only way you should end your meal here.<br />
Breakfast is best enjoyed outdoors, while watching<br />
creatures pass by as you tuck into freshly prepared eggs,<br />
fruit with muesli, salad with cold cuts, and an extensive<br />
selection of pastries and baked goods.<br />
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EQUITY
HOTEL REVIEW<br />
Need to know:<br />
The One Bedroom<br />
pool villa with breakfast<br />
is available for<br />
Dhs3,<strong>18</strong>7 per night.<br />
Visit sir-bani-yas-island.<br />
anantara.com<br />
67<br />
EQUITY
Wealth has its challenges.<br />
We will help you protect,<br />
grow and pass it on.<br />
Experts in advising the<br />
wealthy located in<br />
Abu Dhabi, Dubai,<br />
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E: murray.north@blplaw.com<br />
T: +44 (0)20 3400 4545<br />
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Partner, Head of Corporate (UAE)<br />
Dubai<br />
E: ibrahim.elsadig@blplaw.com<br />
T: +971 (0)4 511 97<strong>18</strong><br />
www.blplaw.com<br />
68<br />
EQUITY
REAL ESTATE<br />
REVOLUTIONARY<br />
ROAD<br />
Looking for a new home in Dubai that would be ideal for the family?<br />
Tregoning Property is the solution to that conundrum. Here’s why<br />
By Meryl D’souza<br />
Dubai can be quite taxing and overwhelming if you land<br />
here without someone to hold your hand and take you<br />
through the rigours of the city life. It’s far better now than<br />
it used to be, as Harry Tregoning, Managing Partner at<br />
Tregoning Property, found out when he went through his<br />
first housing ordeal back in 2011. Before we get to that,<br />
you should know that since the tender age of eight, the<br />
man from Essex, United Kingdom studied in boarding<br />
schools – first Maidwell Hall in Northampton and then<br />
Harrow School in London. While that may seem like an<br />
uninteresting detail, know that boarding schools aren’t as<br />
easy to navigate as regular day schools. These schools<br />
cultivate a sense of no-nonsense independence from a<br />
very young age.<br />
Imagine Tregoning‘s dismay then when he had to deal<br />
with an appallingly incompetent agent when he and his wife<br />
tried to rent their first home in Dubai. Having worked in<br />
property insurance in the UK, Tregoning took up a job in<br />
Dubai to increase his experience in the property world. “I<br />
was fairly shocked by the process and the lack of response<br />
and co-operation of the agent involved,” Tregoning said. “I<br />
called the agent five times to organise a viewing but we<br />
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EQUITY
REAL ESTATE<br />
had to do the viewing ourselves. He was pretty prompt<br />
once we decided to rent but after the meeting with the<br />
landlord, he refused to talk to me. This one time, he<br />
answered my call from a second number and told me it<br />
was not his problem and to contact the landlord directly.<br />
After signing the contract, he flat out refused to help us<br />
with anything else. I felt this was unacceptable and a<br />
process that lacked any personal touch or customer<br />
service and I started planning from there.”<br />
That’s where the idea of the Tregoning Property website<br />
came from. Tregoning describes his brainchild as “a bespoke<br />
real estate brokerage aiming to help our customers and<br />
landlords to provide top customer service and<br />
straightforward honest advice.” The aim here is to keep the<br />
customer happy while keeping transactions transparent with<br />
minimum fuss. He’s basically the Batman of the property<br />
world: the protagonist who endures agony in the hope to<br />
never let anyone else go through that again.<br />
Thanks to the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), the<br />
property market today isn’t as disconnected as it was when<br />
Tregoning was house hunting. “The real estate business has<br />
become more regulated with RERA increasing their control,”<br />
he said. “One of their main reasons for existing is to make<br />
the Dubai property market attractive to investors; both from<br />
the region and from overseas. To do this, more regulation<br />
was needed. The training that RERA and Department of<br />
Land and Property in Dubai (DREI) offer is valuable and<br />
makes you aware of many aspects of the market even if you<br />
are not working in those areas.”<br />
Tregoning Property is mostly marketed through the<br />
digital sphere through some of the biggest property portals<br />
in the region like Propertyfinder, Dubizzle and JustProperty.<br />
Having said that, the website is a behemoth on its own<br />
boasting over 1,500 individual visitors most months. Not<br />
too shabby for a boutique real estate website that was only<br />
founded in 2016. Of course, no one can serve people on<br />
their own. After all, even the Caped Crusader had to<br />
assemble a Justice League. Tregoning’s league is dominated<br />
by parents. “All my team are parents and this is certainly<br />
attractive to new customers,” he said. It’s no surprise then<br />
that his target audience, by default, happens to be families.<br />
It’s a happy coincidence that most of those gainfully<br />
employed parents happen to be mothers. “I get a lot of<br />
help from mothers who provide softer skills with clients. In<br />
most transactions, the lady of the house is highly<br />
instrumental in the decision and they like discussing the<br />
benefits of a villa with another lady,” Tregoning astutely<br />
notes. “This also helps in terms of discussing wider<br />
community concerns such as schools, shopping and the<br />
challenges of living in that certain area.”<br />
Tregoning maintains that although hiring a woman-dominant<br />
team wasn’t a conscious decision, he’s happy with the way<br />
things panned out. “There are many highly capable mothers<br />
who put their careers on hold when they have children. They<br />
then want flexible working hours on their return and this<br />
business can often offer that as they need to get going again<br />
whilst keeping their family running smoothly,” Tregoning said.<br />
Those aren’t empty promises either. “We tend to meet up<br />
mostly during operations. There is no problem with school<br />
runs, doctor visits etc. as you can generally schedule your day<br />
to suit your plans.” It doesn’t stop there. Ever the workaholic,<br />
Tregoning even ensures his employees get all the digital<br />
training they need to stay up to speed and with more and<br />
more business opportunities arising from social media, they’ll<br />
need to be at the top of their game.<br />
“Being able to target an audience so precisely on social<br />
media is fabulous and obviously pays dividends,” he says.<br />
And while his property website isn’t keen on jumping on to<br />
the app bandwagon just yet, he’s shown some astute<br />
business acumen to ensure that his company features on<br />
adverts of the bigger advertising portals that are investing<br />
heavily in creating apps. Like the Dark Knight, he’s always<br />
thinking 10 steps ahead of everyone else.<br />
70<br />
EQUITY
Dubai’s only high-end real estate and interior design company,<br />
setting extraordinary records in the marketing, designing and<br />
selling of the most important residential properties.<br />
Office 804-806, Arenco Tower, Dubai Media City | 04 432 79 72 | www.luxhabitat.ae<br />
71<br />
EQUITY
ENTREPRENEUR<br />
IF YOU COULD TRAVEL<br />
FOR A MEAL, WHERE<br />
WOULD YOU GO?<br />
That’s easy, Italy. I love going to<br />
their regular pizzerias (nothing<br />
fancy) and having a porcini<br />
mushroom pizza with chilli oil.<br />
GET TO KNOW…<br />
MUSTAFA<br />
Y. KOITA<br />
CEO of Koita, a premium foods<br />
and distribution company that<br />
specializes in long life (UHT)<br />
organic milk<br />
SHOPPING HOTSPOTS<br />
I’m a big Tom Ford fan. For<br />
everyday clothes I prefer two<br />
American brands called<br />
Bonobos and Banana Republic.<br />
THE PERFECT FRIDAY IS…<br />
when I can sleep in, but that<br />
never happens as I have three<br />
crazy kids.<br />
MOST RECENT<br />
PURCHASE?<br />
Organic almond milk. I haven’t<br />
been spending on myself lately,<br />
but instead expanding our<br />
company’s product range.<br />
MORNING ROUTINE<br />
I’ve turned into an ‘early bird’ as of late. I wake<br />
up at 5.45am, workout at 6am, drop the kids<br />
to school at 7.30am and get to work around<br />
8.30am. Once I get to work, there is no such<br />
thing as a routine as every day is an adventure<br />
when you are a growing SME. If I’m not<br />
traveling, however, I’m in the office listening to<br />
customers, reviewing plans with our<br />
department heads, and developing the new<br />
product road map.<br />
WHAT FIELD WERE YOU IN<br />
BEFORE THIS? I used to work for Boeing<br />
Defense Systems selling National Security<br />
systems to the government. Yes, I know what<br />
you’re thinking! Notably, the food and the<br />
defense business have some commonality.<br />
Business is based on trust, persistence is key<br />
and you certainly need a good sense<br />
of humour.<br />
FAVOURITE READ<br />
Focus by Al Reis. I really liked<br />
the author’s commonsense<br />
approach to business<br />
management; founded on the<br />
premise that long-lasting<br />
success depends on focusing on<br />
core products and eschewing<br />
the temptation to diversify into<br />
unrelated enterprises. The case<br />
studies are a bit old, but quite<br />
fun to read.<br />
DINING HANGOUTS<br />
The typical fine dining places<br />
are Zuma and Le Petite<br />
Maison, however I’m a bit<br />
bored of them now and<br />
appreciate street-style eateries<br />
with a good vibe. Nola’s, Mr.<br />
Miyagi’s, Ramusake, Reform<br />
and the Maine Oyster Bar are<br />
some of my favourites.<br />
WHAT DOES INVESTING<br />
IN YOURSELF MEAN<br />
TO YOU?<br />
Hard cash going into my<br />
company, but also education<br />
for my employees and myself.<br />
There are some great classes/<br />
workshops out there that are<br />
worth their weight in gold.<br />
ONE THING MOST<br />
PEOPLE DON’T KNOW<br />
ABOUT YOU?<br />
I was born in New Jersey,<br />
USA, grew up in Chicago<br />
and New York City, then<br />
moved to London for four<br />
years and have now been<br />
in Dubai for the last 12<br />
years. This is home now.<br />
72<br />
EQUITY
THE HOME OF PRIVATE AVIATION<br />
AT THE SPEED OF BUSINESS<br />
Passion for excellence is our trademark. In everything we do, our goal<br />
is to meet and surpass your expectations. Our highly trained staff are<br />
always on hand to ensure your complete satisfaction, both on the ground<br />
and in the air. Our unrivalled facilities located at Dubai World Central<br />
guarantee your utmost discretion, comfort and convenience<br />
every time you fly.<br />
T: +971 (0)4 870 <strong>18</strong>00 | www.dc-aviation.ae | An Al-Futtaim Joint Venture<br />
Al Maktoum International Airport | DWC | Aviation District | Dubai, UAE<br />
73<br />
EQUITY